Winter melon is a large fruit grown in hot climates, resembling a watermelon with a frosty to dark green exterior and snow-white flesh. It can be stored for up to 12 months and is used in various dishes worldwide.
A winter melon is a large fruit that grows on a vine in very hot climates such as East and South Asia. Winter melon can grow to about 31 inches (80 cm) and can weigh up to 30 pounds (13.5 kg). With a frosty to dark green exterior, it resembles a watermelon, and its porous snow-white flesh has a flavor that is often compared to zucchini. Also called ash gourd, white gourd, or fuzzy melon, winter melon doesn’t taste as sweet as most other melons. “Winter melon” is also a common name for honeydew or casaba melons.
This melon was originally grown in Southeast Asia, but the area where it is grown has spread to East and South Asia, where the warm climate is ideal for this fruit. Winter melon can be stored for up to 12 months. The seeds in the center must be removed before cooking.
Winter melon is usually grown in warmer climates, but is harvested late in the year, so it needs to be able to withstand colder air. These melons are harvested in late autumn while still unripe. Its hard, waxy exterior retains moisture, keeping the inner flesh moist and ideal for travel, and also allows the melons to be stored for extended periods of time.
When young, winter melon has a fuzzy appearance and a sweet taste. The fruit loses its fuzzy hairs on maturity, develops a waxy coating, and loses its sweetness. This waxy coating ensures a long shelf life when stored in a cool, dry place, and melons can be used during the winter when other fruits and vegetables are no longer in season. After winter melons are cut, they should be used within a few days.
Winter melon is a very versatile fruit and is the ingredient of many types of dishes around the world. It is used in the preparation of a soup in China and Taiwan, often containing vegetables and pork and served in an intricately carved melon shell. Sweetheart cake is a famous sweet pastry in China made from winter melon. It is used to make candy in North India and Pakistan. South Indian people use melon to make kinds of curries, and the leaves, tendrils, and shoots are often eaten as vegetables.
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