Bitter Gourd

The Bitter Gourd has known as bitter melon, or bitter squash is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae. It is widely cultivated in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. They are originated in India and further introduced into China.  The Major producers of the Bitter Gourds are India, China, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Bangladesh.

Description:

The Bitter Gourd has known as bitter melon looks like a cucumber but with ugly gourd like bumps all over it. The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. The fruit is often eaten unripe when its color is green.  At this stage, the flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits that can be removed before cooking, due to intense bitter taste. There are two varieties of this vegetable:  One is oblong and pale green in color. In addition, the other is smaller, oval and has darker green color.

Storage:

The Bitter Gourd is kept fresh by wrap it up in a plastic bag or put it in a sealed container at room temperature and out of Sunlight. They can be stored in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for up to a week.

Uses:

The Bitter gourd is one of the most commonly used ingredients in almost all over the world. Bitter Gourds are used as the main ingredient in curries, side dishes, and appetizers in Indian sub continents Cuisine. They are used in soups, salads, and stir fried dishes in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Stuffed and sautéed bitter gourd dishes are famous in Vietnamese and Filipino cuisine.

Health Benefits:

There are many Health’s Benefits mentioned below,

• Improve Immune system
• Cure Constipation
• Improve digestion
• Manage diabetes
• Treat Asthma
• Act as Antioxidant
• Protect from Cancer
• Improve Skin
• Reduce weight

Nutritional Value of Bitter Gourds:

Nutritional Value of Bitter Gourds contains per 100gms is mentioned below:

Energy                                  19 kcal

Carbohydrates                    4.32 g

Sugars          1.95 g

Fiber             2 g

Fat                                         0.18 g

Protein                                 0.84 g

Vitamins

Vitamin A equiv.                6 μg

Thiamine (B1)                     0.051 mg

Riboflavin (B2)                   0.053 mg

Niacin (B3)                          0.28 mg

Pantothenic acid (B5)       0.193 mg

Vitamin B6                         0.041 mg

Folate (B9)                         51 μg

Vitamin C                           33 mg

Vitamin E                           0.14 mg

Vitamin K                           4.8 μg

Minerals

Calcium                               9 mg

Iron                                      0.38 mg

Magnesium                         16 mg

Manganese                          0.086 mg

Phosphorus                         36 mg

Potassium                           319 mg

Sodium                                6 mg

Zinc                                      0.77 mg

Properties:

Shape: Oblong

Size:  6-30 cm

Color:  Pale to dark Green

Taste:  Bitter