＂Cultivation＂ of Baizhu Bitter Melon, a Good Summer-Relieving Product
The bitter and sweet taste, uniform melon tumor size and soft and tender taste make Baizhu Bitter Melon popular with diners inside and outside the island.
In this hot season, bitter gourd has always been a "good summer product" on people’s table, and bitter gourd sparerib soup is a classic dish when many people cook and order. In Nan ‘ao County, Shantou City, there is a special product called "Baizhu Bitter Melon", which is popular with diners inside and outside the island because of its bitter and sweet taste, uniform melon tumor size and soft and tender taste.
From May to August every year, it is the rich period of white pearl bitter gourd in South Australia, and it is just in season to eat bitter gourd at this time. In recent years, during the listing season, white pearl bitter gourd is often in short supply, and now it is exported to first-tier cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with a certain popularity.
Why has Baizhu Bitter Melon become a specialty of South Australia? What kind of techniques and conditions are needed for planting white bead bitter gourd? Compared with traditional planting methods, what are the characteristics of white bead bitter gourd? Recently, the reporter went deep into the fields and had face-to-face communication with melon farmers and county and town cadres, trying to crack the "planting password" of Baizhu Bitter Melon.
Text/Photo: Nanfang Daily reporter Zhang Weiwei
Taiwan Province melon seeds "settled" in South Australia
Entering Dongyangyang Village, Houzhai Town, Nan ‘ao County, farmland is everywhere in full of green. Under the scorching sun, villager Zhang Yusen is working in the bitter gourd shed to fertilize and exterminate the last round of white jade bitter gourd. In the melon field, bitter gourd sheds are lush, and yellow flowers are dotted among them, which is eye-catching; Bend over and walk into the melon shed, and in front of you, white beads and bitter melons hang on the branches, and the melons are full and shiny.
Zhang Yusen, who is over 60 years old, has nearly 30 years of experience in melon and fruit cultivation. When it comes to white beads and bitter gourd, he is like a treasure. In his view, the white beads on the outer skin of Baizhu bitter gourd are large and granular, which is different from the bitter gourd varieties planted in other places outside the island. It is the unique soil, climate and air in South Australia that make Baizhu bitter gourd unique in appearance and taste.
According to Zhang Yusen, since the 1990s, there has been white bead bitter gourd in South Australia. At that time, a farmer from South Australia went to Taiwan Province to visit relatives, and brought back the melon seeds of Baizhu Momordica charantia for trial planting. As a result, Baizhu Momordica charantia was very suitable for the soil in South Australia, and the planted bitter gourd was not only delicious, but also had high nutritional value.
"I’m 65 years old, and I’m used to eating bitter gourd ribs soup every day. My eyes are fine now, so I don’t need to wear reading glasses to read newspapers." Zhang Yusen introduced the eyesight-improving effect of bitter gourd with his own experience.
After the "small experiment", in order to expand the output, the agricultural department of Nan ‘ao County once tried to plant white pearl bitter gourd in other places in South Australia, but the results were very small. In the early days, only two villages, "Dongpan Ocean" and "Xipan Ocean", were the main producing areas of Baizhu Bitter Melon in South Australia, but the output of Bitter Melon in these two villages was limited, and every year, Bitter Melon was snapped up as soon as it was listed.
"Nan ‘ao County has a typical maritime climate. The temperature is 1℃ to 2℃ lower than that of the urban area. Coupled with the salty sea breeze and dewdrops, Baizhu Bitter Melon grows in such an environment and has a soft taste, which is unmatched by other varieties of Bitter Melon." After that, Zhang Yusen gently lifted a bitter gourd and showed a satisfied smile.
Set up cooperatives to help villagers improve their planting techniques.
Although Baizhu Momordica charantia was successfully planted in Nan ‘ao County, Zhang Yusen, who has rich farming experience, realized that it is far from enough to rely solely on the unique natural conditions in South Australia. If you want to increase the output of Baizhu Momordica charantia, you must rely on technical support.
Since 2008, the planting area of bitter gourd in South Australia has gradually expanded, thanks to the professional cooperative of ecological agricultural products in Lvxiangzhuang, South Australia County, which is located in Guangming Village, Houzhai Town. As the chairman of the cooperative, Zhang Yusen led the villagers to study bitter gourd planting techniques, and asked provincial and municipal agricultural science and technology personnel for advice on planting bitter gourd techniques to plant bitter gourd better.
In order for more villagers to feel the importance of science and technology, technicians often go into the fields to give guidance to farmers, mainly from the aspects of seed selection, the ratio of fertilizer and pesticide, irrigation water and so on.
"It is not enough to learn from provincial and municipal agricultural science and technology personnel. We also run our own training courses, where everyone gathers to speak freely and share their harvest and experience in the planting process." In 2013, the cooperative set up a training course to teach 102 balsam pear growers cultivation techniques, pesticide application techniques and fertilizer identification techniques.
Zhang Yusen said that after scientific training and guidance, South Australia’s bitter gourd planting has formed a set of mature planting experience. Compared with the previous planting method of "feeling" to adjust the proportion of fertilizers and pesticides, the quality of Baizhu bitter gourd has been greatly improved, the meat quality is more compact and the taste is softer.
Adhere to "pollution-free" and embark on the road to prosperity
It is understood that cooperatives not only promote Guangming Village, but also stimulate the enthusiasm of farmers in a number of nearby villages such as Shanding Village, Gongqian Village and xishan village Village to grow bitter gourd. Through diligent study, they strive to master the technology taught by cooperatives, and orders are constantly "visited at home" in the process of learning and doing, which drives farmers to become rich.
"The biggest trick for melon farmers to get rich is actually to insist on ‘ Pollution-free ’ Planting. " Hong Hongtian, secretary of Guangming Village and director of the neighborhood committee, told the reporter that there are still 60 farmers in Guangming Village who insist on planting pollution-free white pearl bitter gourd. Apart from the cost, most farmers can earn 50,000 yuan in one round of sowing.
"Every year, villagers often come to tell me that the bitter gourd they planted has sold a lot of money. Such hard work is also worthwhile." Hong Hongtian said.
Although the yield and quality have been improved, the cultivation of white bead bitter gourd still faces the shortcoming of "decentralized planting" According to Chen Youcai, deputy director of the Agriculture Office of Nan ‘ao County Committee, South Australia has a relatively small area of cultivated land, and the area for planting white jade bitter gourd is even less, and industrial revitalization is an indispensable part of rural revitalization. If white jade bitter gourd cultivation is to be included in the "one village, one product" plan, it is bound to be inseparable from the guidance of the government.
"For a long time, because the farmers are scattered and varied, a certain planting scale has not been formed, so ‘ Small fights ’ It is difficult to form an industrial chain. In this regard, if the government can take the lead in developing agricultural products distribution bases, or try to develop agricultural products e-commerce and give certain financial support, it may also be an effective path. " Chen Youcai said.
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Bitter gourd with white beads
Cold salad is the best.
Related research shows that bitter gourd can relieve the heat in the heart and eliminate toxins in the body; Momordica charantia has high nutritional value. Eating Momordica charantia often can also enhance the vitality of cortex, make skin tender and healthy, and make people "look bright". For modern people who like beauty and slimming, eating more bitter gourd is a good choice.
Then, what method should be used to cook the freshly picked white bead bitter gourd with sufficient water and bright color? The reporter randomly visited a number of food stalls in Nan ‘ao County, and the answers given by the chefs were mostly "Bitter gourd ribs soup", "Bitter gourd rice" and "stir-fried bitter gourd".
Many people know that Momordica charantia has the reputation of "gentleman’s dish". No matter what ingredients are used, it will not cover up the taste of the other party, but will only add fragrance and taste to the other party. Seafood and white pearl bitter gourd are both specialties of South Australia. When they are combined with each other, what kind of taste will they have?
Chef Wang Shifu told the reporter that cheap seafood such as Portunus, Chebai, Flower Scab, Thin Shell and Kelp are cooked with Baizhu Bitter Melon, which sets off the fresh and sweet taste of seafood and adds unique sweetness, which is memorable.
Chef Zheng Shifu said that some high-end ingredients, such as sea cucumber, abalone and cuttlefish gum, can be used to make wild sea cucumber and balsam pear soup, baked balsam pear with abalone sauce and stewed balsam pear with cuttlefish gum. It can be said that it is both traditional and innovative, soft and smooth, and even "upstaged".
"The best way to eat white bead bitter gourd is cold. Cold salad can well retain the vitamins contained in bitter gourd. " Chef Liang introduced that after the cold salad, put the white bead bitter gourd in the refrigerator to cool it, which will be more crisp and refreshing when eating, and its unique "slightly bitter and sweet" will quickly "occupy" the whole taste bud.