Winter Melon Soup

Dinner: Menu

Szechwan is famous for its melons. Watermelon, as beloved in China as it is in America, is called xigua, or “Western melon,” in recognition of its Szechwanese origins. Mrs. Chiang’s family grew melon-like squashes and squash-like melons, big ones the size of pumpkins and tiny ones the size of cucumbers. Some were stir-fried with a little meat, some were steamed, and some of the best were used in soups, lovely delicate soups with tender bits of co