GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
A Cantonese-style variation adds shiitake mushrooms to the pork, pan-fries the stuffed melon and then simmers it in fermented-black-bean sauce. Oyster sauce and cooking wine may be used in this filling.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Bitter melon and savoury pork.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Tender melon surrounding a firm filling.
- How it’s made
- Remove the seeds, fill the melon with seasoned minced pork and cook through.
A Cantonese-style variation adds shiitake mushrooms to the pork, pan-fries the stuffed melon and then simmers it in fermented-black-bean sauce. Oyster sauce and cooking wine may be used in this filling.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Guangdong.
About this regional connection
Guangdong: Guangdong association; no exclusive origin claim.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有客家酿苦瓜吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Bitter melon in the “three treasures”
Hakka stuffed bitter melon can appear alongside other stuffed dishes. In Heyuan’s “three treasures,” it shares the plate with stuffed eggplant and chili peppers. A version in Chixi, Taishan, replaces the peppers with stuffed tofu. Bitter melon and eggplant appear in both combinations, while the third ingredient changes with the local version.