You don't need to develop your "bitter taste" you need to combine the bitter flavor along with other flavor and be conscious of texture so the dish is simple yet complex.

Try this classic Chinese recipe utilizing bitter melon, then let us know what you think *wink*:

STIR-FRIED BITTER MELON WITH BEEF

1 pound bitter melon (see note)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon chicken stock or water
2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Slice the bitter melon in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and finely chop the melon. Blanch the bitter melon in boiling water for two minutes; drain thoroughly.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add oil and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt, bitter melon and stock and stir-fry for another four minutes, or until the beef is cooked. Stir in the sesame oil, turn onto a serving platter and serve.

Note: Bitter melon should be firm & plump. Keep in mind the darker the color, the more bitter the flavor.

Hi Violet,

Actually I grew both the dark and white varieties last year and am growing them this year as well. Both are Indian variety and the white one was substantially bitter than the dark bitter melon. Just my experience.

-saila

I would like to try growing some of these...Could some one recommend a variety to me that I might try...I have never grown asian veggies but am very anxious to give them a try...just don't know the varieties and I have looked and see that there are more than one or two...

saila,

I should have specified that "darker green" varieties are typically more bitter than "lighter green" varieties. But there will be variations across the board.

ruthie, I say go for whatever you can find that sounds interesting. That's what I do.

Hi Ruthie,

The big light green ones you typically see in a supermarket have more water content to them and are less bitter. The thin long ones, both the white - actually light green, or dark variety ones are much more bitter. In India these are the ones that are grown, not the big variety.

Evergreen seeds has a good selection of bitter melon varieties. If you check the photographs, you can see that the long thin ones are Indian varities. Depending on your taste preference, you can go with the less or more bitter variety. I myself prefer more bitter taste. I grew up eating bitter melon cooked in several different ways and simply love it.

They do require a long growing season. My bitter melon plants are just now beginning to fruit.

-saila

blech. can't stand the stuff. not for lack of trying, though. I try it every so often to see if my tastebuds have changed. I do that with a lot of stuff that I don't like. Nope, I've tried bitter melon about 3x and still don't like it...

cyumickey,

They say your taste bud change every seven years....

*wink*

Kalika,

You sound like my husband; he couldn't get enough of them.
Actually I cooked some last night for dinner and he ate and ate:) The recipe is quite similar to Violet's except I used chicken and added some yellow onions, and used the black bean sauce with garlic for flavoring, little sugar and salt. I really had to cook the bitter melon 'cause we like them soft not too crunchy.
My dad made stuffed bitter melon, using pork, shrimp and other ingredients for the stuffing and then they were steamed. I haven't had stuffed ones for awhile...

Betsy