Is Momordica edible?
Is Momordica edible?
Momordica charantia, the balsam pear or bitter melon, produces an edible fruit, or “pear.” The balsam pear fruit is elongated and oblong in shape with a warty exterior, resembling a cucumber. The fruit is edible, but should be selected for cooking while still green and unripe.
What is the edible part of bitter gourd?
This edible fruit is one of the most bitter vegetables produced. The elongated fruit has a rough exterior and a crunchy, watery flesh which is bitter. When the fruit is green, the skin is edible whereas the pith is removed before cooking. The pith becomes sweet and red when ripe and is used uncooked in various salads.
What is Momordica charantia used for?
Momordica charantia L. (M. charantia), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and its fruit has been used as a vegetable for thousands of years.
How do you eat Momordica charantia?
Remember: No part of the Momordica charantia is ever to be eaten raw, except for the red arils (and remember to spit the seeds out.) No part, other than the arils, is ever to be eaten when ripe, which is when it is turning from green to yellow to orange. Do not eat the yellow or orange fruit raw or cooked.
What is the common name of Momordica charantia?
bitter-melon
Momordica charantia, commonly called bitter-melon or ampalaya, is a vigorous, tendril-bearing, frost tender, annual vine of the cucumber family that will grow rapidly to 12-20′ long in a single growing season. It is native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of Asia and Africa.
How do you pronounce Momordica charantia?
Momordica charantia Pronunciation. Mo·mordi·ca cha·ran·ti·a.
Which part of Momordica charantia is poisonous?
Red mature fruit and seeds are toxic and should not be eaten.
Is Momordica charantia fruit?
Momordica charantia (colloquially: bitter melon; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit.
What is Charanta?
Charantia (bitter melon or bitter gourd) (Figure 1) is a flowering vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a tropical plant that is widely cultivated in Asia, India, East Africa, and South America for its intensely bitter fruits that are commonly used in cooking and as a natural remedy for treating diabetes[20].
Are Momordica charantia poisonous?
Poison Symptoms: TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. Ripe fruits, fruit coats, and seeds cause headache, salivation, facial redness, pupil dilation, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscular weakness.
How do you say Momordica charantia?
Which is part of the charantia plant is edible?
Ampalaya, more commonly known as bitter melon, is the edible part of the Momordica charantia plant. This tropical vine grows in Asia and parts of the Caribbean and Africa, and tea made from the fruit and leaves has potential uses in herbal medicine.
How big does a Momordica charantia plant get?
Momordica charantia is a vigorous, tendril-bearing, frost tender, annual vine of the cucumber family that will grow rapidly to 12-20’ long in a single growing season. Plants are generally grown like cucumbers.
What’s the best way to eat Momordica charantia?
When it is softened and reduced, it is crushed in a mortar with a few cloves of garlic, salt and a red or green pepper. It is also eaten sautéed to golden-brown, stuffed, or as a curry on its own or with potatoes.
What are the medicinal uses of Momordica fruit?
It is cultivated for its edible, bitter fruit and used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Bitter melon is native to India and was introduced to China in the 14thcentury. For medicinal purposes, the Momordica fruit itself as well as the leaves (for tea) are used.
