Yaeyama Islands
Bitter gourd is a signature vegetable of Okinawa, which has been eaten by the people there since the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It is rich in vitamin C, containing approximately 1.5 times the amount found in lemon juice (1). As it is said to retain its nutritional value well even when cooked, it is highly recommended for stir-fries (2). Furthermore, a compound called momordicin, which gives it its bitter taste, is said to be gentle on the liver and to stimulate the gastrointestine, thereby helping to boost the appetite (3). This summer, why not try savouring the delights of Okinawa bitter gourd in a variety of dishes?
(1) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan - 2020 - (Eighth Revised Edition) Enlarged 2023) *Nutrients per 100g of edible portion
(2) (3) Kuwacchii Okinawa Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Database
Bitter Gourd
Tsukune
沖繩苦瓜肉丸卷
Ingredients:
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1/5 bitter gourd
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Salt (appropriate amount)
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1/2 onion
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200g ground pork
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1 pinch salt
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Thyme (appropriate amount)
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Cumin powder (appropriate amount)
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Nutmeg (appropriate amount)
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10 pieces lemongrass
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Potato starch (appropriate amount)
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1 tablespoon oil
Steps:
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Remove the guts of the bitter gourd and chop into small pieces, rub lightly with salt, and let stand for 10 minutes. Finely chop the onion.
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Add ground pork and salt in a bowl and mix well until it becomes sticky.
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Remove the water from the bitter gourd beforehand. Add thyme, cumin powder, nutmeg, bitter gourd, and onion to ②, and mix well until it becomes even stickier.
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Sprinkle potato starch over the lemongrass. Divide ③ into 10 equal portions and spread it around the lemongrass.
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Heat oil in a frying pan, cook ④ on both sides, and place on a plate to serve.
Shiitake with
Bitter Gourd & Cream Cheese Sauce
椎茸配沖繩苦瓜忌廉芝士醬
Ingredients:
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20g bitter gourd
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8 shiitake mushrooms
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20g walnuts
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2g butter
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Salt (appropriate amount)
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1/2 teaspoon shikuwasa juice
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30g cream cheese
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2 pieces dry-cured ham
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Salt (appropriate amount)
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Black pepper (appropriate amount)
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Toasted sesame seeds (appropriate amount)
Steps:
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Remove the guts of the bitter gourd and chop into small pieces. Separate the stems of the shiitake mushrooms from the caps. Roast the shiitake mushrooms and walnuts. *Set aside a small amount of bitter gourd pieces for garnish in the step ⑤.
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Chop walnuts and the stems of the shiitake mushrooms into small pieces.
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Heat butter in a frying pan, fry the shiitake mushroom stems and bitter gourd, add salt and shikwasa juice, and let cool.
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Add cream cheese in a bowl and mix, add the torned dry-cured ham, walnuts, and ③, and mix further. Add salt and black pepper to adjust the taste.
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Place ④ on the caps of the shiitake mushrooms and garnish with the chopped bitter gourd. Sprinkle with black pepper and sesame seeds, if desired.
Bitter Gourd Chijimi Pancake
椎茸配沖繩苦瓜忌廉芝士醬
Ingredients:
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1/2 bitter gourd
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70g thin sliced pork
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100g flour
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1 egg
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150cc water
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Salt (appropriate amount)
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Pepper (appropriate amount)
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1 tablespoon oil
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【Sauce】
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2 tablespoon soy sauce
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4 tablespoon vinegar
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1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
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[optional] Ichimi Togarashi (red chili pepper powder) or chili oil
Steps:
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Cut the bitter gourd in half vertically, remove the guts, and cut into thin slices.
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Crack the egg into a bowl and beat, and mix with water. Add sifted flour, salt, and pepper, and mix further.
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Add the bitter gourd and pork to ②, and mix.
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Heat oil in a frying pan, pour in half of the mixture in the step ③, shape into a round shape and cook over medium heat. When the surface becomes dry, turn over and cook the other side. Cook until both sides are browned.
Bitter Gourd Somen
沖繩苦瓜素麵
Ingredients:
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3 bundles somen noodles
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100g mozuku
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1 bitter gourd
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Salt (appropriate amount)
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1 Japanese ginger
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1 egg
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Oil (appropriate amount)
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1 canned tuna
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Thin-shredded dried bonito (appropriate amount)
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3.5 tablespoon 4倍濃縮 mentsuyu (noodle soup base, 4 x concentrated)
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4 lemon slices
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leafy vegetables (appropriate amount)
Steps:
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Boil the somen noodles. Rinse the mozuku seaweed, cut into chunks, and combine with the somen noodles.
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Cut the bitter gourd into thin slices, sprinkle with salt to soften, and remove the excess water. Cut Japanese ginger into thin strips.
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Whisk the egg and season with salt. Swirl oil to coat the frying-pan. Pour the egg into the pan and make a thin layer of egg crepe. Take it out of the pan and cut into thin strips.
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Remove the excess oil from the canned tuna and combine with ② and thin-shredded dried bonito. Add mentsuyu and adjust the taste.
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Spread leafy vegetables on a plate, place ① and ④ on top, scatter ③ and garnish with lemon.
Spicy Bitter Gourd
微辣沖繩苦瓜
Ingredients:
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1/3 bitter gourd
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Salt (appropriate amount)
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1/4 bell pepper
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5cm Shiraga-negi (thinly sliced white part of a Japanese leek)
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1/4 teaspoon Ichimi Togarashi (red chilli pepper powder)
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1 teaspoon or more fish sauce
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1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
Steps:
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Remove the guts of the bitter gourd, cut into thin slices, rub lightly with salt, and let stand for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the bell pepper and soak in water.
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Add Ichimi Togarashi, fish sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl, and mix.
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Remove the water from ① and mix with ②.
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Place ③ on a plate and garnish with Shiraga-negi.
Bitter Gourd Shumai
沖繩苦瓜燒賣
Ingredients:
-
200g ground pork
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1 Okinawa Fu (Japanese wheat gluten)
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1/4 (about 80g) bitter gourd
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1 teaspoon grated ginger
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2 teaspoon cooking sake
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2 teaspoon soy sauce
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1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
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20 Japanese shumai wrappers
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Green peas (appropriate amount)
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Leafy vegetables (appropriate amount)
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Soy sauce (appropriate amount)
Steps:
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Put water and the Okinawa fu in a bowl and soak until soft, drain by squeezing the water out, and break into small pieces by hand.
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Cut the bitter gourd in half, remove the guts, cut into about 5 mm cubes, and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Remove the excess water and set aside.
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In a bowl, add ground pork, ①, grated ginger, cooking sake, soy sauce, and chicken stock powder, mix until it becomes sticky, then mix in the bitter gourd.
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Divide ③ into 20 equal portions, wrap each portion with the shumai wrapper and decorate with a piece of green pea on the top.
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Steam ④ in a steamer for about 10 minutes.
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Line the leafy vegetasbles of your choice on a plate and place the shumai on top. Place a small plate of soy sauce on the side, if desired.
