Thus the name Bitter Gourd Monk has been taken to mean that his loyalty was still with the Chinese Ming dynasty. However, historians discount this romantic legend because Shih Tao intended the nickname to be sarcastic about himself.
炒苦瓜時加一點糖，或先用開水燙過再炒，或是採嫩果切開先在鹽水中浸泡一陣，都可減少苦味。閩、粵一帶因氣候濕熱，人們特別喜愛能祛火氣、濕氣的食品，因此對苦瓜特別偏愛。