If the game is survival of the fittest, gourds are winners. Gourds, rice, and thistles are among the longest surviving plants grown as a food source. Archeologists found evidence of gourds being cultivated as far back as 5000 BC in China. Besides being one of the first cultivated plants, they are the only plants grown all over the world. But you've probably tasted a few of their relatives.
Gourds belong to the same family as squash, cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins.
They are all members of the Cucurbitacea family but belong to different genera. The only thing they have in common is that they all grow on vines. Most gourds are much too bitter to eat. Gourds are an example of Nature's excellence for design. The reason they are still around is because they have all the right stuff.