Martin Yan - *** Recipe Title ***

"The more you understand the ingredients, the better cook you will become."
-Martin Yan

These are common ingredients found in local cuisine. You can find these ingredients readily available in your local supermarket.

Winter Melon

If you have ever seen a winter melon, you might have thought it was a dusty, old green pumpkin. It is a pretty interesting looking vegetable with the entire surface covered with chalky white bloom. Inside is a tangled web of seeds, which must be removed before cooking. The inner flesh is pale green to milky white in color with a faint sweet-peppery taste.

Winter melon is never eaten raw. Remove the seeds and rind, thinly slice, and steam or simmer in soups. Because it has a relatively bland flavor, winter melon is typically paired with flavorful ingredients, such as dried shrimp and dried black mushrooms in soups and stir-fried dishes.

Winter melons can weigh from 8 to 10 pounds and be 12 to 15 inches tall. Because of their huge size, most Asian markets cut them before selling them to their customers. Store an uncut melon in a cool, dry place for up to a month. Wrap cut melon in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to several days.

Adapted from Martin Yan’s A Simple Guide To Chinese Ingredients And Other Asian Specialties