Bitter gourd
Bitter gourd, also called Bitter melon, has beautiful fruits with a very bitter taste, which most people, especially children, don't like.
This page provides some basic information and facts about the bitter gourd together with some bitter gourd photos, some proverbs, and bitter gourd recipes.
Basic information on bitter gourd
| Scientific name: | Momordica charantia |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| English: | Bitter gourd Bittergourd Bitter melon |
| Dutch: | Sopropo Balsempeer Bitterkomkommer |
| Spanish: | Melón amargo Cundeamor chino |
| German: | Bittermelone Bittergurke Balsambirne Bittere Spring-Gurke |
| French: | Margose |
| Other: | Goya |
| Origin: | The origin of bittergourd is not known, but it originates of the tropics. |
| Distribution: | Bittergourd is found in many tropical countries including the Indian subcontinent (India, nepal, etc.), Southeast Asia, China, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. |
| Annual, biennial, or perennial: | Bittergourd is a perennial vine. |
| Plant: | Bitter gourd is a vine. The climbing vines can be up to 10 meters long. It is grown for its edible fruit. |
| Flowers: | Yellow flowers of about 3 cm diameter. The flowers open just for one day. The plant has separate male and female flowers. |
| Leaves: | The size of the leaves is 2.5 to 10 cm by 3 to 12 cm. Leaves have 3 to 9 clear lobes. |
| Fruits: | The fruit of the bitter gourd is one of the most bitter vegetables. It looks like a green warty cucumber. Depending on the variety the size may vary from 6 to 30 centimeters. When the fruits get ripe they turn orange and split open, exposing the seeds covered in a red pulp. |
| Climate and weather: | Bitter gourd is a tropical and subtropical plant. It prefers hot and humid climates. |
| Pollination: | Bittergourd is pollinated by insects. Growers of bittergourd can use hand pollination. |
| Height: | Bittergourd is usually grown on trellis. Vines can reach a length of 10 meters. |
| Propagation: | Bitter gourd is propagated through direct seeding and transplanting. |
| Insect pests: | Several insects attack bittergourd, including fruit flies. |
| Diseases: | Viruses, mildew. |
| Harvesting: | Bittergourd is usually harvested by hand picking of the fruits when they are still green. |
| Uses: | Bittergourd is eaten as a vegetable, for example in stir-fries, in soups, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed. Bittergourd is also used in Asian traditional medicine. It stimulates digestion. |
Bitter gourd photos
Proverbs about bitter gourd
- Of a bitter gourd use not even the seed. (= a warning against children of bad people)
Quotes
Who knows a quote or proverb about bittergourd?
Recipes
No bitter gourd recipe yet.