What common preparation step can significantly reduce the intense bitterness of sliced bitter melon before cooking?

Answer

Blanching the sliced melon briefly in salted boiling water

A key technique discussed for making bitter melon more palatable, especially for beginners encountering its intense flavor, involves a specific preliminary cooking step. Blanching, which means briefly immersing food in boiling water and then rapidly cooling it, is recommended when done in salted water. This process is effective at leaching out a significant portion of the compounds responsible for the overwhelming bitterness. Although some practitioners caution that this method might diminish some beneficial components, it is presented as a highly effective way to temper the initial harshness, making subsequent consumption in dishes like stir-fries much more accessible to the palate.

What common preparation step can significantly reduce the intense bitterness of sliced bitter melon before cooking?

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