Momordica charantia

Momordica charantia(commonly calledbitter melon,cerassee,goya,bitter apple,bitter gourd,bitter squash,balsam-pear,karavilaand many morenames listed below)is atropicalandsubtropicalvineof the familyCucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its ediblefruit. Its manyvarietiesdiffer substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
Bitter melon originated in Africa,where it was a dry-season staple food ofǃKunghunter-gatherers.Wild or semi-domesticated variants spread across Asia in prehistory, and it was likely fully domesticated in Southeast Asia.It is widely used in the cuisines ofEast Asia,South Asia, andSoutheast Asia.
Thisherbaceous,tendril-bearing vine grows up to 5 m (16 ft) in length. It bears simple,alternate leaves4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellowmale and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere, flowering occurs from June to July, and fruiting from September to November. It is a frost-tenderannualin the temperate zone and aperennialin the tropics. It grows best in theUSDA zones9 to 11.
The fruit has a distinctive warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar tocucumber,chayote, or greenbell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible.  Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.
Some sources claim the flesh (rind) becomes somewhat tougher and more bitter with age, but other sources claim that at least for the common Chinese variety the skin does not change and bitterness decreases with age.  The Chinese variety is best harvested light green possibly with a slight yellow tinge or just before.  The pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state and is a popular ingredient in some Southeast Asiansalads.
When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns orange and soft and splits into segments that curl back to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.
Bitter melons come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The common Chinese variety is 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long, oblong with blunt ends, pale green in color, and has a slightly undulating warty surface. The common Indian bitter melon is narrower in shape, pointed at both ends, and covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. It ranges from green to white in color. There are many intermediate shapes between these two extremes. Some bitter melons produce miniature fruits that are only 6–10 cm (2.4–3.9 in) long and are eaten alone as a stuffed vegetable. These miniature fruits are popular in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and other countries in South Asia. The subcontinental variety is most popular in Bangladesh and India.
M. charantiais one of the mainhostsofBactrocera tau, a fly known to prefer Cucurbitaceae.
Bitter melon is generally consumed cooked in the green or early yellowing stage. The young shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may also be eaten asgreens. The fruit is bitter raw and can be soaked in cold water and drained to remove some of those strong flavours.
InChinese cuisine, bitter melon (苦瓜,pinyin:kǔguā;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:khó͘-koe) is used instir-fries(often with pork anddouchi), soups, dim sum, andherbal teas(gohyah tea). It has also been used in place ofhopsas the bittering ingredient in some beersin Chinaand Okinawa.
Bitter gourd is commonly eaten throughout India. InNorth Indian cuisine, it is often served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, used incurrysuch assabzi,or stuffed with spices and then cooked in oil.
InSouth Indian cuisine, it is used in numerous dishes such asthoran/thuvaran(mixed with grated coconut),pavaikkamezhukkupuratti(stir-fried with spices),theeyal(cooked with roasted coconut), andpachadi(which is considered a medicinal food fordiabetics), making it vital inMalayali's diet. Other popular recipes include preparations with curry, deep-frying with peanuts or other ground nuts, andKakara kaya pulusu(కాకర కాయ పులుసు) inTelugu, a tamarind-based soup with mini shallots or fried onions and other spices, thickened with chickpea flour. In Karnataka, bitter melon is known ashāgalakāyi(ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ) inKannada; in Tamil Nadu it is known aspaagarkaaiorpavakai(பாகற்காய்) inTamil.In these regions, a special preparation calledpagarkai pitla, a kind of sourkoottu, is common. Also commonly seen iskattu pagarkkai, a curry in which bitter melons are stuffed with onions, cooked lentils, and grated coconut mix, then tied with thread and fried in oil. In the Konkan region of Maharashtra, salt is added to the finely chopped bitter gourd, known askarle(कारले) inMarathi,  and then it is squeezed, removing its bitter juice to some extent. After frying this with different spices, the less bitter and crispy preparation is served with grated coconut. Bitter melon is known askarate(Konkani:कारांतें) inGoawhere it is used widely inGoan cuisine. InBengal, where it is known askorola(করলা) orucche(উচ্ছে) in Bengali, bitter melon is often simply eaten boiled and mashed with salt, mustard oil, sliced thinly and deep fried, added to lentils to make "tetor"dal(bitter lentils), and is a key ingredient of theShukto, a Bengali vegetable medley that is a mixture of several vegetables like raw banana, drumstick stems, bori, and sweet potato.
In northern India and Nepal, bitter melon, known astite karela(तीते करेला) inNepali, is prepared as a fresh pickle. For this, the vegetable is cut into cubes or slices, and sautéed with oil and a sprinkle of water. When it is softened and reduced, it is crushed in amortarwith a few cloves ofgarlic, salt, and a red or green pepper. It is also eatensautéedto golden brown, stuffed, or as a curry on its own or with potatoes.
InBurmese cuisine, bitter melon is sauteéd with garlic, tomatoes, spices, and dried shrimp and is served as an accompaniment to other dishes. Such a dish is available at street stalls and deli counters throughout the country.
It is calledkaravila(Sinhala:කරවිල) in Sri Lanka and it is an ingredient in many different curry dishes (e.g.,karawilacurry andkarawila sambol) which are served mainly with rice in a main meal. Sometimes large grated coconut pieces are added, which is more common in rural areas.Karawilajuice is also sometimes served there.
Bitter melon, known asgōyā(ゴーヤー) inOkinawan, andnigauri(苦瓜)inJapanese(although the Okinawan wordgōyāis also used), is a significant ingredient inOkinawan cuisine, and is increasingly used inJapanese cuisinebeyond that island.
In Pakistan, where it is known askarela(کریلا) inUrdu-speaking areas, bitter melon is often cooked with onions, redchili powder,turmericpowder, salt,corianderpowder, and a pinch ofcuminseeds.  Another dish in Pakistan calls for whole, unpeeled bitter melon to be boiled and then stuffed with cooked minced beef, served with either hottandooribread,naan,chappati, or withkhichri(a mixture of lentils and rice).
InIndonesian cuisine, bitter melon, known aspareinJavaneseandIndonesian(alsoparia), is prepared in various dishes, such asgado-gado, and also stir-fried, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed.  In Christian areas in Eastern Indonesia it is cooked with pork and chili, the sweetness of the pork balancing against the bitterness of the vegetable.
InVietnamese cuisine, raw bitter melon slices known asmướp đắngorkhổ quainVietnamese, eaten withdried meatfloss and bitter melon soup withshrimp, are common dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are commonly served as a summer soup in the south. It is also used as the main ingredient of stewed bitter melon. This dish is usually cooked for theTếtholiday, where its "bitter" name is taken as a reminder of the bitter living conditions experienced in the past.
InThai cuisine, the Chinese variety of green bitter melon,mara(มะระ) inThai, is prepared stuffed with minced pork and garlic, in a clear broth. It is also served sliced and stir-fried with garlic and fish sauce until just tender.  Varieties found in Thailand range from large fruit to small fruit.  The smallest fruit variety (mara khii nok) is generally not cultivated but is occasionally found in the wild and is considered the most nutritious variety.
In thecuisine of the Philippines, bitter melon, known asAmpalayainFilipinoandPariainIlokano, may be stir-fried with ground beef andoyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. The dishpinakbet, popular in theIlocosregion ofLuzon, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables all stewed together with a littlebagoong-based stock.
The name of the fruit is rooted in the bitterness of its taste, (Filipino:Ampait) which means bitter. In pre-colonial Spanish inIlocandia, the name is locally translated toAmpariaandAmpalayain theFilipino language.
InTrinidad and Tobago, bitter melons, known ascarailleorcarilley, are usually sautéed with onion, garlic, andscotch bonnet pepperuntil almost crisp.
InMauritius, bitter melons are known asmargoseormargoze.
Bitter melon has been used in various Asian and Africanherbal medicinesystems.In thetraditional medicineof India, different parts of the plant are used.
Momordica charantiadoes not significantly decrease fasting bloodglucoselevels orA1c, indicators of bloodglucosecontrol, when taken incapsuleortabletform.
A possible side effect isgastrointestinal discomfort.
Bitter melon iscontraindicatedin pregnant women because it can induce bleeding, contractions, and miscarriage.
Bitter melon tea, also known asgohyah (goya) tea, is anherbal teamade from aninfusionof dried slices of the bitter melon. It is sold as a medicinal tea, and a culinary vegetable.
Gohyah is not listed in theGrieve's herbal database, the MPNA database atUniversity of Michigan(Medicinal Plants of Native America, seeNative American ethnobotany), or in the Phytochemical Database of theUSDA–Agricultural Research Service(ARS) –National Plant Germplasm SystemNGRL
The plant has one subspecies and fourvarieties:
M. charantia var. charantiaandpavelare the long-fruited varieties, whereasM. charantia var. muricata,macrolobaandabbreviatafeature smaller fruits.