Chapter 2-RRL
Native Amplaya Leaves
ORIGIN
Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter
squash, or balsam-pear, has names in other languages which have
entered English as loanwords.
It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae,
widely 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 India and was introduced into China in the
14 century.
th
DASCRIPTION
This herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows up to 5m(16ft) in
length.It bears simple,alternate leaves 4-12cm(1.6-4.7in)across,with three
to seven deeply separated lobes.Each plant bears separate yellow male and
female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere,flowering occurs during June to
July and fruiting during September to November.
The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and am 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 to cucumber,chayote or green
bell 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.
As the fruit grows,the flesh becomes somewhat tougher and more
bitter, and many consider it too distasteful to eat.On the other hand,the pith
becomes sweet and intensely red;it can be eaten uncooked in this state,and
is a popular ingredient in some Southeast Asian salads.
When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns orange and mushy, and splits into
segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright
red pulp.
VARIETIES
Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.The cultivar
common in China is 20-30cm(7.9-11.8in)long,oblong with bluntly tapering
ends and pale green in color,with a gently undulating,warty surface.The
bitter melon more typical in India has a narrower shape with pointed
ends,and a surface covered with jagged,triangular “teeth” and ridges.It is
green to white in color.Between these two extremes are any number of
intermediate forms.Some bear miniature fruit of only 6-10cm(2.4-3.9in)in
length,which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables.These
miniature fruit are popular in Bangladesh,India,Pakistan,Nepal and other
This study source was downloaded by 100000844348369 from CourseHero.com on 04-10-2024 23:07:40 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/122165272/2docx/
countries in South Asia.The sub-continent variety is most popular in
Bangladesh and India.
COLINARY USES
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 as green.
This study source was downloaded by 100000844348369 from CourseHero.com on 04-10-2024 23:07:40 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/122165272/2docx/
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
