Bitter Melon

Bitter melon has a bumpy, dark to pale green skin, and has a slightly bitter quinine flavour that has a cooling effect in the mouth. Not surprisingly, it was originally prized for its supposed medicinal qualities: something so bitter had to be good medicine. In some parts of China, it is thought to purify the blood and cool the digestive system, and it is often dried for medicinal use. The greener the melon, the more bitter its taste, and most cooks wisely look for the milder yellow-green varieties.