Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, is an acquired taste.
But it is a very nutritious vegetable: it's rich in iron, beta carotene, calcium, potassium, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, niacin, phosphorous and fibre.
It's a popular vegetable all over the world. In Denmark, it's served in salads. In India, it's stuffed with meat and fried with lots of spices. In China and Hong Kong, it's cooked with pork and black beans.
Many people choose to remove the bitterness from the vegetable by salting it. However, this is not a very good idea, as the salt is absorbed into the flesh. Hong Kong people already consume a lot of sodium, so extra salt should be avoided.
Another way of removing the bitterness is to blanch slices of melon in boiling water for a few seconds after you've removed the core. If you place the slices immediately into iced water, the melon should retain its vibrant green colour.