Chinese Winter Melon

What Does It Taste Like? Mature winter melon has a very mild taste, while the immature fruit is sweet. It's often compared to the taste of cucumber, with a refreshing, almost grassy flavor.

What is winter melon called in Chinese?

Common Chinese Name: 冬瓜, Dong Gua. Common English Name: Winter melon, wax gourd. Common Form: Large melon/squash with either a snowy light green or waxy dark green skin and white flesh in the center with tan seeds. They are usually sold in slices because they are huge.

What is winter melon good for?

This fruit is often praised for its laxative, diuretic, and aphrodisiac properties. It's also believed to provide health benefits ranging from increased energy levels and a sharper mind to smoother digestion and a lower risk of disease.

How do you eat winter melons?

Winter melon should not be consumed raw. First, the skin and seeds must be removed. Then the flesh of the fruit can be sliced or cubed and lightly cooked. The fruit can be simmered, steamed, grilled, roasted and parboiled for about five minutes.

Is winter melon a Superfood?

Winter melons, in addition to vitamin B and C, have high quantities of zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron, dietary fiber, and other vitamins and minerals in trace amounts. These nutrients together make for a very strong dietary supplement, which is why winter melon is a widely respected plant throughout the world.

What are the side effects of winter melon juice?

May Aggravate Gastrointestinal Discomfort: Winter melon is rich in potassium. If consumed in excess, it may aggravate gastrointestinal discomfort and lead to nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain (16). However, these side effects are associated with excess consumption of the melons, and usually subside on their own.

Are Wintermelon and honeydew the same?

The winter muskmelons include types like the honeydew, Crenshaw, casaba, Juan Canary, and Santa Claus. Unlike the cantaloupes, when the fruits are ripe, the stem of the winter melon does not separate (abscise) from the vine, so other methods of determining maturity are required.

Does winter melon taste like watermelon?

Winter melons have a mild, subtle flavor reminiscent of cucumber or watermelon. It is refreshing and full of juiciness. Due to its similarity to watermelon rind, the watermelon's rind is popular as a substitute for winter melon in various salads and dishes.

Does winter melon taste like honey dew?

While it's still young and not quite ripe, winter melon is more like cantaloupes and honeydews in that it's a little sweet. However, it's the mature winter melon that's sought after for cooking in savory recipes.

Can diabetic eat winter melon?

Winter melon for diabetics patients Diabetics are known to be benefitted a lot due to the medicinal and healing properties of winter melon. Also it can be included in the diet of a diabetic since it is low in calories.

Why are they called Winter melons?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where its English common name, watermelon, comes from. The flesh of this succulent fruit is over 90 percent water. Native to Africa, it was a valuable and portable source of water for desert situations and when natural water supplies were contaminated.

Is Wintermelon good for kidney?

It's used as a diuretic in ancient medicine to wash away salts, lipids, water, and other pollutants from the body. Winter melon aids in effective detoxification and improves the function of the kidneys and liver.

When should you not eat melons?

It is recommended to not consume watermelons at night right before going to bed. "I would not recommend consumption of watermelon or any fruit after 7 pm. Watermelon is slightly acidic and if consumed at night, it may delay the process of digestion when the body is inactive.

What is ash gourd called in USA?

Publisher Summary. Ash gourd, Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. —commonly called hairy melon, wax gourd, winter melon, ash pumpkin, or white pumpkin—is the only species in the genus Benincasa.

Can winter melon skin be eaten?

The skin is inedible and is typically discarded, but sometimes the melons are hollowed and used as a decorative serving bowl. The seeds are also removed from the flesh before cooking, but they are edible once cooked and can be roasted or fried as a crunchy snack.

What does melon do to your stomach?

May improve digestion. Watermelon contains plenty of water and a small amount of fiber, both of which are necessary for healthy digestion. Fiber helps keep your bowels regular, while water moves waste through your digestive tract more efficiently ( 35 , 36 ).

Which melon is the healthiest?

Watermelon contains the least amount of calories, coming in at 46 calories per one-cup serving.

What does melon do for your brain?

Watermelon was recently found to have high concentrations of antioxidants, including lycopene, which may help prevent cognitive decline. It also offers a strong complement of beta-carotene.

Who should not drink ash gourd juice?

Ash gourd contains anti-nutritional factors ( e.g.phytates, oxalate, etc.), which might reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients. A diet containing ash gourd juice may riskcalcium deposition, which might lead to kidney stones.

Does winter melon need to be refrigerated?

Unwashed whole winter melon can be stored in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 5 months. Once sliced, you should always wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge, where it will last up to 1 week.