Summer's Best: Experts Share Tips on Choosing and Cooking Winter Melon

Despite its name, winter melon is a summer staple in Taiwan, prized for its hydrating and low-calorie properties. The Council of Agriculture (COA) explains that the melon's name comes from the white, frost-like powder on its skin when mature, or its ability to be stored until winter.

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Winter melon's name is related to its appearance and preservation characteristics, not its growing season.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Chou Tsung-han highlights that summer's heat depletes qi and body fluids. He recommends consuming cooling melons like winter melon, bitter melon, and fuzzy melon to help the body naturally release excess heat. The COA adds that winter melon is in season from April to October.

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Entering summer, people get sweaty and tired easily. TCM believes summer corresponds to the heart, and qi disperses outwards, leading to significant sweating and depletion of fluids.

When selecting a whole winter melon, look for an even shape, intact skin, and a powdery coating, which indicates higher sweetness. For pre-cut melon, choose firm, white flesh and yellowish-brown seeds; yellowing flesh suggests it's older. The COA also shared three recipes: passion fruit winter melon, braised winter melon, and steamed winter melon with dried shrimp.

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The first step in summer health preservation is not to eat ice to cool down, but to eat in the right direction, allowing the body to smoothly remove excess heat.