Editorial photo #9946794 Human Interest

Vegetables Of India

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) also known as bitter melon, Goya, karela, bitter apple, bitter squash, or balsam-pear is an herbaceous tropical and subtropical tendril-bearing vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. Bitter melon originated in Africa where it was a dry-season staple food of ?Kung hunter-gatherers. Bitter gourd has been used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems. In the traditional medicine of India, different parts of the plant are used. Bitter gourd hanging on a Bitter gourd fruit plant in a garden and Overripe bitter gourd, with orange warty flesh, splitting open to reveal red seeds at Tehatta, West Bengal, India 21/04/2023. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)