Vegetables
Winter melon
冬瓜 とうがん togan
Also known astogan, tougan
At its best in Jun, Jul, Aug
When it is at its best
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
In seasonAvailable
How to cook
With minced chicken sauce
Simmered in dashi and served under a thickened chicken sauce. A summer staple.
Fukume-ni
Edges bevelled and gently simmered until translucent, which looks beautiful.
In soup
Sliced thin for a clear soup, where it eats softly.
Stir-fried
Cooked Chinese style, keeping some bite.
How to choose
A white bloom on the skin, heavy in the hand, with no damage.
Storage
Whole, it holds for months somewhere cool and dark. Once cut, remove the pith, wrap and refrigerate.
Main areas
Good to know
Harvested in summer, but named for keeping whole until winter. More than ninety per cent water with almost no flavour of its own, it is cooked to take up the taste of dashi. Held to cool the body, it has long been eaten in hot weather.
