Banana Country

Karela ($2.49 per pound) is one of a number of vegetables that also answer to "bitter melon" or "bitter gourd." The ampalaya you'll find at Filipino restaurants, and the "bitter" vegetables in Chinese and Okinawan cuisine, are varieties with a similar shape but a less gnarly rind. When it's cored — choose a thinner one for less pith and fewer seeds — the karela can actually be the basis for a fresh salad, but frying or even blanching it will tame the bitterness considerably.

Banana Country
120-01 Liberty Ave., Richmond Hill, Queens
718-641-5253