Fuzzy Melon / Jointed Gourd (Mao Gua)
表面に産毛がたっぷり！冬瓜よりも甘くて柔らかい「夏の瓜」
Description
A variety of winter melon, sized like an elongated softball (~20cm). Named 'Fuzzy Melon' (Mao Gua) due to the dense fine hairs on its skin. Finer fibers and more condensed sweetness than winter melon; heating makes it melt syrupy like eggplant. Highly loved in Cantonese cuisine.
Classification: Everyone, Ingredient, Vegetable, Fuzzy Melon, Jie Gua, Winter Melon, For Soup, Melting, Summer Vegetable
Shops selling Fuzzy Melon / Jointed Gourd (Mao Gua)
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The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Mao Gua & Rib Soup]: Simmer peeled, chunked melon with pork. Adds gentle sweetness to soup.
- [Glass Noodle Stir-fry]: Braise-fry with rehydrated vermicelli in soy (vermicelli absorbs melon moisture exquisitely).
- Steamed stuffed melon.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
A fresh、clean、elegant sweetness like a more delicate winter melon
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Can be perfectly substituted with Winter Melon (though Fuzzy Melon is slightly sweeter)
Pairing
Pork Spareribs / Glass Noodles / Dried Shrimp (Hai Mi)
Trivia
Called 'Jie Gua' in Cantonese. Pairs perfectly with dried shrimp; drinking its soup in listless summers clears internal heat.
Eating tips & etiquette
The fuzz is pricklier when fresher. Peel thinly with a peeler before use. While huge winter melons are hard for homes to handle, the one-meal size of Fuzzy Melon makes it very convenient for housewives.
Allergen
None