A Miraculous Recovery from the Mold Incident!? The Story of How Eating the Elusive 'Yellow Bitter Melon' Made It the Ultimate Beauty Food

Hello!
Last time, I shared a sad failure story about how I was so excited to 'wait for the green bitter melon I harvested to ripen until it turned yellow!' that I ended up letting it get moldy...

I had completely given up, thinking, 'Ah, I wish I could have tried yellow bitter melon just once...' but it turns out there was more to this story!

A Miraculous Gift

The other day, my neighbor happened to share some other vegetables with me.
When I casually mentioned the bitter melon mold incident, they offered an unexpected helping hand, saying, 'Oh, if it's yellow bitter melon you want, we have some in our garden, so I'll give you some!'

Thanks to my neighbor's kindness, I was finally able to get the yellow bitter melon I had been longing for. Since freshness is key, I decided to eat it that very same day.

The Bright Red Seeds Have a Mysterious Sweetness

First, I took a knife and sliced it open... and inside were seeds that had turned a bright red! I was surprised by the vivid color, which I never would have imagined from a green bitter melon, and I tried eating these red seeds.

The red, jelly-like substance around the seeds was smooth and definitely sweet! Since there is no acidity at all, it has a mysterious, gentle sweetness that is different from fruit.

However, there is one thing to note here. I thought, 'Maybe the seeds are soft too?' but the seeds themselves (the shell part) inside the red jelly are actually quite hard.

In fact, it is this seed part that contains 'conjugated linoleic acid,' a component that is great for beauty! It is an essential component for dieters that improves the function of enzymes that break down fat, making stored fat easier to burn and preventing new fat from accumulating.

If you don't mind the hardness, I recommend chewing them well, or if you prefer, crushing them before eating (or perhaps making them into tea).

The Yellow Flesh Has a Milder Bitterness

Next, I cut up the yellow flesh around it and tried stir-frying it as is. It was softer than when it was green, and the bitterness that had bothered me was greatly reduced, resulting in a milder flavor!

...However, when I had my daughters try it, they said, 'It's still bitter!' Even though the bitterness is milder, the flesh itself doesn't become sweet, so it seems it was still a bit of an 'adult taste' for children.

Even so, it becomes much easier for adults to eat, and above all, the yellowed flesh is packed with heat-resistant Vitamin C. In other words, you can take care of your skin (Vitamin C in the flesh) and diet (conjugated linoleic acid in the seeds) at the same time! Isn't that great?

The 'Elusive Beauty Vegetable' Not Found in Markets

To begin with, why isn't this nutritious and delicious 'yellow bitter melon' sold in supermarkets?

The reason is simple. Yellow, fully ripened bitter melon is too soft and doesn't keep well, so it gets damaged during transport and can never be stocked in stores.

In other words, it is an 'elusive beauty vegetable' that can only be eaten by people who grow it themselves or have neighbors who do!

If you find removing the bitterness from bitter melon to be a hassle, waiting for it to turn yellow before cooking is one strategy.

If you are currently growing bitter melon in your garden or on your balcony, please don't harvest them all—try leaving one or two on the vine and waiting for them to turn yellow! The 'yellow bitter melon' is an elusive vegetable that doesn't hit the markets. Since it also helps with beauty, why not try tasting it at least once?