Bitter Melon

Bitter Melon is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits. Names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon, bitter gourd, goya from an Okinawan language or Karela/Karella in India and Nepal, ampalayá from Tagalog, and cerasee (Caribbean and South America; also spelled cerasse).

It is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in India, Nepal and other parts of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Extensively used in cooking in China, India, and Asia, it is also used for its medicinal values. Bitter gourd is known to be effective against Type-II diabetes. Rresearch is ongoing on some compounds of bitter melon and their probable efficacy against HIV.