Winter Melon

Surprisingly, given the English name, this is a vegetable and not a fruit, a member of the vegetable gourd family that grows like a pumpkin (Benincasa hispida). From the outside, it is a bit more tall than wide, covered by a silver-green skin. On the inside, the flesh is white and pulpy with a network of pumpkin-like seeds that the Chinese love to dry, season, and crack between their teeth with a dexterity that gives rise to envy (and piles of empty shells). Once cooked, typically steamed or poached in a soup, the flesh turns translucent and delicately sweet. It has the character of a steamed cucumber, which is a reasonable replacement if fresh winter melon is unavailable.