2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Bitter Melon, Momordica charantia, is a member of the squash family and is very popular in Asian, African, Caribbean, Indian, and Middle Eastern countries. Bitter Melon has a bumpy skin and ranges from light to dark yellowish green in color and oblong in shape as the bitter melon matures and ripens it turns yellow-orange. Ripen fruits are bitter in taste. Bitter Melon is very common in Asian and Indian dishes. In Chinese cooking, Bitter Melon is usually stir fried with pork, used in soups and consumed as a tea. In Northern Indian Bitter Melon can be stuffed with spices and prepared by cooking in oil. It is prepared or served with yogurt to offset the bitterness. In Southern India, Bitter Melon is mixed with coconut and stir-fried with various spices. In the Caribbean, Bitter Melon is sautéed with onion, garlic until crisp. Bottle Gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, which has vines, which is grown for its fruit, harvested when young. The fruit has a light-green smooth skin with white flesh. Rounder varieties are known as Calabash gourds, these gourds vary in shapes (huge and round, small and bottle shaped or slimmed). Bottle gourds were one of the earliest cultivated plants, but were used as water containers and musical instruments. The Bottle Gourd originated in Africa, migrated to Asia, Europe and the Americas. The history of the usage of Bottle Gourds has been recorded as far back as 11,000 years ago.