Fuzzy Melon

Fuzzy melon, also called hairy gourd or mo qua, is an oblong gourd native to China, covered in fine hairs on pale to dark green skin, with mild, tender white-green flesh similar in texture to zucchini but milder in flavor. It is a staple of Cantonese and other Chinese cuisines, usually peeled, seeded, and added to stir-fries, soups, and braises with pork, shrimp, or chicken, and is typically added toward the end of cooking to preserve its texture. It is not the same vegetable as bitter melon, a similarly shaped but warty-skinned gourd with a pronounced bitter flavor; fuzzy melon's flavor is mild and slightly sweet by comparison. It has also become common in Vietnamese and Thai cooking.