Winter melon
Ingredient Name: Winter melon, white gourd, or ash gourd
-
Winter melon is actually a vine grown fruit that is eaten as a vegetable
-
The melon itself can grow to be very large, hitting 1-2 m in length and 30 pounds at full maturity
-
Both young and mature melons are used in Chinese soups
-
It is commonly used in dishes, stews, steamed and soups
-
People drink fresh melon juice
-
It is quite popular in Hong Kong to use baby wintermelon (see picture below) in soups
How do I prepare it?
-
For the simple winter melon soup, you simply wash the melon, peel it and cut into large cubes
-
If you’re making the fancy winter melon soup, you will need to carve out the WHOLE melon and double boil it as a soup
Where can I buy this?
-
You can purchase fresh winter melon at most Asian supermarkets – they will be cut into manageable sizes and packaged
-
In Hong Kong wet marts, you can purchase it by the weight, requesting the vendor to cut the amount you wish directly from the whole melon
What is the cost?
- A large slice of melon, roughly 1/2 pound in weight costs around $1.50 – $2.00 CAD
Any benefits?
- Winter melons are known to remove heatiness and helps detoxify the body
- It is ideal in removing phelgm from the lungs
- It is also particularly effective in regulating blood sugar levels
- The winter melon skin can also be boiled/eaten for someone with heat stroke or edema due to heat
Any precautions?
- Since it is a cooling food, it should be carefully consumed if pregnant (less than 3 months into term) or menstruating (can cause contractions)
- If someone is experiencing diarrhea or loose stool, they should avoid consuming the winter melon seeds
Additional Information?
-
The winter melon can typically be stored for up to 12 months
-
You can also consider using baby wintermelons (whole)
-
Organic baby wintermelon costs $60 HKD each (not cheap for a melon)
Resources
No Comment »
10 Pingbacks »
[…] of fresh pork bones 6-7 fresh frogs legs 10-12 lotus seeds 10-12 fresh ginko biloba 1 big slice of wintermelon 2 litres of water 1 teaspoon of salt (to marinate the pork) How do I prepare […]
[…] pound of fresh pork shank 1 large slice of wintermelon 5-6 honey dates 2 tablespoons of hyacinth beans 5 g of dried lily bulb (or 5-6 pieces) 20 g of fu […]
[…] pound of beef slices 1 large slice of winter melon (as much as you want to eat) 30 g dried lotus seeds 25 g white hyacinth beans 25 g fu ling or […]
[…] fresh carrots, cut into large pieces 2 fresh corn, cut into large pieces 1 large slice of wintermelon, peeled and cut into large pieces 20 pieces of dried longan 2 L of […]
[…] pound of pork shin or pork bones 1 slice of wintermelon, sliced with skin on 2 fresh corn, kernals sliced 70 g of fresh gingko bilobas 70 g dried lily […]
[…] fresh (or frozen) chicken feet 3 fresh corn, quartered 1 large slice of wintermelon, sliced with skin on 70g fresh gingo biloba 70g dried lotus seeds 1 slice of ginger 2 L of […]
[…] wintermelon – This is a key ingredient that vendors will sell during the “hottest” days of the summer. This extremely cooling melon is a slightly sweet and refreshing soup veggie. […]
[…] large slice of winter melon, sliced with skin off (but the peel is also boiled as part of the soup) 10 precooked beef balls 10 […]
[…] 2-inch thick slice of winter melon, skinned and bite-sized […]
[…] make great quick boil candidates (winter melon, bitter melon, fuzzy melon, even watermelon and honey dew can be […]