What are the nutrients of bitter melon?

Although bitter melon tastes bitter, it is very nutritious and has many special benefits. Let’s learn about it together.

Momordica charantia

Also known as Jinlizhi, Shi grape, and Lianggua, it is an annual climbing herb belonging to the genus Momordica of the Cucurbitaceae family. It is native to the tropical regions of East India. Bitter melon was not recorded in medical books before the Ming Dynasty in my country. It was first included in the Ming Dynasty's "Jiuhuang Bencao" and "Bencao Gangmu". It is said that it was transplanted from the Nanyang Islands when the eunuch Sanbao sailed to the West.

Bitter melon is tender and crisp, with moderate bitterness, fresh and delicious. It can be fried, boiled, stewed, served cold, pickled, or used as a beverage. It has the effects of increasing appetite, improving eyesight, aiding digestion, cooling and detoxifying, diuresis, and treating calf urinary disease. Wang Mengying of the Qing Dynasty said in Suixiju Food Recipe: "Bitter melon is bitter and cold; it clears heat, improves eyesight, and clears the mind. It can be made into sauce or pickled." Home-cooked dishes made with bitter melon, such as "fried frogs with bitter melon", "fried pork ribs with bitter melon", and "stuffed bitter melon", are all delicious.

In folk legends, bitter melon has a quality of “not passing on its bitterness to others”. That is, no matter it is fried or cooked with any other dish such as fish or meat, it will never pass on the bitterness to the other party. Therefore, some people say that bitter melon “has the virtue and merit of a gentleman” and praise it as “gentleman’s dish”.

Bitter Melon Benefits

1. The momordica glycosides and bitter substances in bitter melon can increase appetite, strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite.

2. Bitter melon juice contains a certain protein component that can enhance macrophage ability and is clinically effective against lymphosarcoma and leukemia.

3. The trypsin inhibitor extracted from bitter melon seeds can inhibit the protease secreted by cancer cells and prevent the growth of malignant tumors;

4. The fresh juice of bitter melon contains momordica glycosides and insulin-like substances, which has a good effect in lowering blood sugar and is an ideal food for diabetic patients.

Storage instructions

The best way to store bitter melon for a long time is to use the salting method. Wash the bitter melon and cut it into the shape you like. Then mix 100 grams of salt (coarse or fine) and 500 grams of cold water, boil it, and let it cool. Finally, add a little salt to the cut bitter melon, marinate for about 10 minutes, then put it in cold salt water, seal it, and put it in the refrigerator. You can take it out whenever you want to eat it.

Cooking knowledge

After washing the bitter gourd, rub it with salt and wash it off when you need to use it. Or you can slice the bitter gourd and soak it in ice water for a while before taking it out, which can reduce the bitterness of the bitter gourd.

Dietary precautions

1. Most suitable for patients with diabetes, cancer and prickly heat.

2. Bitter melon is cold in nature and should not be eaten by people with weak spleen and stomach.

3. Eating bitter melon and eggs together can protect bones, teeth and blood vessels, make iron better absorbed, have the effect of strengthening the stomach, and can treat stomach pain, eye pain, colds, typhoid fever, diarrhea and vomiting in children.

Delicious food

Stir-fried Deer Tendon with Bitter Melon and Lily Bulbs

Ingredients: 350 grams of water-soaked deer tendons, 150 grams of bitter gourd, and 100 grams of lily.

Seasoning: 3g salt, 5g MSG, 5g chicken sauce, 5g cooking wine, 3g pepper, 3g green onion, 3g ginger, and 3g garlic each.

Method: 1. Cut the deer tendons into 5 cm segments, cut the bitter gourd into 5 cm segments, and wash the lilies.

2. Simmer the deer tendons in broth for 3 minutes, season them, and blanch the bitter melon and lily bulbs.

3. Add oil to the wok, add onion, ginger and garlic. Slowly fry until the onion aroma comes out.

4. Add deer tendons, bitter gourd, and lily. Add cooking wine, seasonings, and broth, stir-fry until thickened, drizzle with scallions and oil, and serve.

Bitter Melon and Shrimp

Ingredients: 1 bitter gourd, 2 eggs, appropriate amounts of salt, oil and chicken essence.

Method: 1. Wash the bitter gourd, cut the edges, remove the pulp and cut into thin slices, mix with a little salt, marinate for about 10 minutes, rinse, drain and boil in boiling water until the bitter gourd changes color, remove and rinse with clean water, drain and set aside.

2. Beat the eggs and add salt.

3. Heat a pan until red, add a little oil, add bitter gourd and a little chicken stock, stir-fry until hot, then add eggs and stir-fry until just cooked, and serve.

Home remedies for curing diseases

1. Treatment of heatstroke: Take 1 fresh bitter gourd, cut off the pulp, add tea leaves, then connect them together, hang in a ventilated place to dry, 6-9 grams each time, boil in water or soak in boiling water instead of tea.

2. Treatment of dysentery: Take fresh bitter gourd, mash it into juice, and drink it with boiled water; or take one fresh bitter gourd, mash it and squeeze out the juice, and drink it with boiled water; or use the bitter gourd vine to dry and grind it into powder, take 3 grams each time, once every 6 hours, and drink it with boiled water.

3. To treat stomachache: burn bitter gourd into charcoal and grind it into powder. Take 1 gram each time with boiled water, 2-3 times a day.