{"id":32889,"title":"Winter melon: what is it?","modified":"2025-06-10T14:23:25+02:00","plain":"What is winter melon?\n\n\n\nKnown as \"Vietnamese squash\" or \"Chinese watermelon\", the wax gourd is a creeping herbaceous plant grown mainly in East Asia, though it also thrives in Florida's warm climate. \n\n\n\nBiologically speaking, it is a fruit, but it is cooked and eaten as a vegetable in Chinese and Indian cuisines. \n\n\n\nIts mild, slightly sweet flavor makes it popular in soups, drinks, and desserts. That versatility is what sets wax gourd apart: it can star in a main dish or serve as a light treat at the end of a meal.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOrigins of winter melon\n\n\n\nWax gourd has been cultivated in China for more than 2,000 years. Although it is sometimes called \"winter melon\", the name is misleading: it is neither a true melon nor a winter fruit. While it looks a bit like a melon, its flavor is closer to cucumber. \n\n\n\nThe winter reference comes from the pale, waxy coating and fine down on its skin. Grown in summer and autumn, wax gourd keeps for up to four months, so it is often eaten in winter, hence the nickname. \n\n\n\nYou don't want to be standing under it when it falls!\n\n\n\nIn China, the fruit is considered a \"cooling\" food, making it ideal for the hot, humid days typical of tropical Asia, where it originated. \n\n\n\nWinter melon in cooking\n\n\n\nAs with most squashes, it is best to remove the skin, seeds, and the soft flesh surrounding them. The firmer flesh can then be cut into cubes or slices. \n\n\n\nSteam it, braise it, stew it\u2014the choice is yours. It can even be eaten raw. Wax gourd is often paired with bold herbs and spices that contrast with its mild flavor. \n\n\n\nIt is popular in soups and is also used to make sweets and drinks such as smoothies. \n\n\n\nWhat does winter melon taste like?\n\n\n\nIts herbaceous, refreshing notes are often compared to cucumber. When young, wax gourd is noticeably sweeter. \n\n\n\nAs it matures, the sweetness fades a little. The flesh remains crunchy and juicy and readily absorbs the flavors of whatever it is cooked with. \n\n\n\nWhere to buy wax gourd?\n\n\n\nIf you are curious to try it, wax gourd is available year round in most Asian grocery stores. \n\n\n\nBecause the fruit is quite large, it is often sold pre-cut. Whether you buy it whole or in sections, choose pieces that feel firm.\n\n\n\nHow to store winter melon?\n\n\n\nOnce harvested, wax gourds travel well and keep for a long time. Stored in a cool place, they can last up to a year. After cooking, however, they should be refrigerated and eaten within a few days. ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}