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May 8, 2026

Taking the bitterness out of Goya?

Today is "Goya Day" and as I wrote in my post about it, my MIL is growing some this year so no doubt we'll be given some to cook. I am not a big fan, because I find it unpleasantly bitter. So, following in the same vein as tonetoedo's mentaiko / karako question - what way do you serve goya? Have you any tips for taking the bitterness out of it?

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BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

Irish, Mom of 4, currently also living beside the In-Laws. 25+ years back and forth between Ireland and Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com

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3 Answers

Best Answer

  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on May 12

    I've ever only made chanpuru. The recipe I use starts with a rigorous scraping of seeds and pith, a salt soak, and then blanching for a minute before cooking. The bitter, astringent taste doesn't go away. But I kinda like it.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on May 9

    The only way I've tried it is in goya chanpuru, and I think it's alright like that...I feel like the other ingredients sorta offset the bitterness a bit and make it less noticeable!

    0
  • helloalissa

    helloalissa

    on Jul 12

    Same with TonetoEdo, I don't mind the bitterness in champuru, although I don't make it often. It's supposed to be bitter, even after preparing as she explained. They're good for our health even though bitter foods are not very popular anymore. I've heard of adding it to Japanese curry, especially if you don't like the taste, so you could give that a try.

    1

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