Bitter Gourd

Also known as bitter melon or bitter cucumber, bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) comes in several varieties. Most commonly found in U.S. markets is an unevenly ridged spindle-shaped variety that is 4 to 12 inches long, along with one that’s similarly shaped but smaller and covered with little bumps. What they have in common is an intense bitterness that can be only partly leached out with salt. Chinese cooks use salty black beans to balance the bitterness; Parsi cooks use sweetness, usually jaggery, and cook the vegetable until it is almost meltingly soft. Bitter gourd does not need to be peeled. To prepare it, cut it into slices or cubes, sprinkle heavily with salt, and let it rest for about 2 hours. Squeeze out the accumulated water and rinse the bitter gourd before cooking. In Indian and other traditional medical systems, bitter gourd juice (from either the gourd or the even more bitter leaves) is the sovereign remedy for liver problems and diabetes.