Today is the monthly potluck Sunday at Plains Mennonite Church and I’m bringing something very special. Bitter Melon stuffed with Pork.

When I lived in Prey Veng I was told that Bitter Melon treats diabetes, cures cancer, and lowers cholesterol. I was surprised to discover that there’s a basis for each of these claims!

• Bitter Melon contains Polypeptide-p, an insulin analogue. So in a pinch Bitter Melon could treat diabetes…just not accurately. It’s actually dangerous for anyone with blood sugar related conditions to eat large quantities of Bitter Melon for this reason!
• Bitter Melon extract is in clinical trials for cancer treatment…but this doesn’t equate to eating it curing cancer. The research has shown potential when highly concentrated Bitter Melon extract is applied to individual cancer cells.
• Bitter Melon has been shown to significantly lower cholesterol in lab studies when consumed in extremely large quantities. Granted, these studies were on rats and haven’t been confirmed for humans yet!

So Bitter Melon is a true Super Food. It’s also nutritionally dense, packed with antioxidants and rich in fiber. Did I mention the taste? It’s extremely bitter and delicious.

I’ve eaten Bitter Melon raw – supposedly it’s most beneficial form – but I prefer it stuffed with pork (along with chives, garlic, pepper, and fish sauce) and slow cooked in water. This leaves a nice bitter broth as a bonus to drink later. ល្អសម្រាប់សុខភាព

Where can you get Bitter Melon in Pennsylvania?

North Wales Pennsylvania has the wonderful Assi Plaza supermarket which has a wide variety of international food including bitter melon. Otherwise, just try your luck at your local international grocery store.

I did try growing Bitter Melon on my deck in Pennsylvania but no luck (probably because it was on the deck). I do know an intrepid soul who is successfully growing Bitter Melon in Harrisonburg Virginia.