IVY Gourd

The Ivy Gourd also referred as a scarlet gourd, little gourd, is actually a vine belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. This is native to northern and eastern Africa, Arabia to tropical Southeast Asia. The Major producers of the Curry leaves are India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Description:

The Ivy Gourd is smooth, ellipsoid in shape and small, thus they are known as “berry”. Their skin is smooth along with a variation of green and white. It is green with longitudinal stripe when young, but turning red when ripe. The white flesh looks like the appearance as well a taste of the cucumber. The Flesh is equally crispy as well as tasty in texture having a slightly bitter aftertaste. Because of its wonderful taste, it can be in many delicacies.

Storage:

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

Uses:

The Ivy gourds are used as the main ingredients in a variety of recipes from all over the world. These are used mainly as a curry and some soup dishes of Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Health Benefits:

There are several Health’s Benefits mentioned below,

• Improve Immune system
• Allergy Protection
• Improve digestion
• Manage diabetes
• Treat infection
• Protect from Cancer
• Improve Skin

Nutritional Value of IVY Gourds:

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

Energy                        18 kcal

Carbohydrates          3.1g

Fiber        1.6 g

Fat                              0.1 g

Protein                       1.2 g

Vitamins

Thiamine (B1)          0.07 mg

Niacin (B3)               2.3 mg

Riboflavin                 0.08 mg

Vitamin C                  1.4 mg

Minerals

Calcium                    40 mg

Iron                          1.4 mg

Potassium               30 mg

Properties:

Shape: Ellipsoid, small

Size:  length-6 cm and width-2 cm

Color:  Glossy Green

Taste:  Sweet and sour