Overview of Chinese Bitter Melon (Momordiki)

Exotic fruits and vegetables are popular with many gardeners. Unusual appearance, original taste, desire to decorate your site - these and other reasons inspire summer residents to grow various types of plants, including those from the pumpkin family. One of its brightest representatives is Momordica melon.

She has a spectacular appearance, which is why she attracts attention. But few know what it is grown for and what properties the melon has. From the article you will find out why gardeners become its fans and grow it with pleasure.

What is this grade

Momordica is a herbaceous climbing liana, belongs to the pumpkin family. It is most widespread in Asian countries. In different parts of the planet, it is called differently: bitter melon, Indian pomegranate, mad cucumber.

They grow it not only in the garden, but also at home, on the balcony. The plant is successfully used for wall decoration.

Brief history of origin

Homeland of this rare and unusual plant - forests in the tropics with high humidity. For centuries, it has been cultivated for food or medicinal purposes.

In ancient China, melon was considered the imperial fruit - it was allowed to be eaten only by members of the imperial family. In India, they believed that this plant belonged to the gods, and used it for sacred rites.

What does it look like

Momordica has beautiful vines regardless of the stage of development. It has long stems reaching 2 m in length, light green leaves of large size. The flowers are bright yellow, their smell vaguely resembles the scent of jasmine.

The plant produces large fruits. They can reach 25 cm in length and 7 cm in diameter. On top of the fruit, dense tubercles are formed, resembling warts. Initially, the fruits are light green in color, but, when ripe, become yellow-orange.

Interesting... As the melons grow, they crack and open: in this form, they look like lily petals. The color of the fruit inside is dark ruby, the seeds are similar to watermelon.

What is useful, composition and properties

In countries where Momordica has been grown for a long time, they noticed that this plant has many medicinal properties. It is used as a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory agent. Thanks to the use of fruits, blood sugar levels decrease - due to the quarantine contained in them.

Melon is used to treat measles, scabies, arthritis and asthma. It serves as an ingredient in preparations used to eliminate the effects of insect and snake bites. Parts of this plant are believed to help people fight certain types of cancer.

Melon contains amino acids. Bitter Momordica is rich in phenols, alkaloids, vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, resins and essential oils.

Melon is a dietary product: 100 g contains only 15 kcal.

Can you eat Chinese bitter melon?

Momordica is edible, all parts of this unusual plant are eaten.

What is the taste and smell of fruits?

It is best to use the unripe fruits of Momordika, as there is no bitterness in them. When the fruit is ripe, it becomes bitter and unfit for human consumption. To get rid of the bitterness, melons are immersed in salt water and left to soak for several hours.

During this time, the salt water is changed several times.The seeds of this plant are also eaten. When the fruit is ripe, they acquire a sweet taste and are suitable for consumption even when raw.

Attention! The leaves can be added to food as spices. They give the dish a slightly bitter taste and sourness.

How to choose

The first thing you should pay attention to is that you should buy the melon only during the ripening period, from September to October.

The correct choice depends on the degree of maturity. The fruits of ripe Momordika are orange or pink in color, the flesh has a bitter taste. To eat it at this stage of ripeness, you must first process the fruit. Therefore, it is better to choose a light yellow or green melon when buying - they are more suitable for eating and have a fresh, sweet taste.

How to apply

Due to its extraordinary taste and medicinal properties, Momordica is widely used in cooking and traditional medicine.

In cooking

Notable recipes are bitter melon salad and stuffed Momordica. The pulp, not fully ripe, is successfully combined with dishes from meat, vegetables, fish and poultry. Melon is often used in desserts, salads, jam... It is fried, boiled, pickled, canned.

In folk medicine

The plant is used for the preparation of ointments, tinctures and decoctions. The most widespread are tincture and tea from Momordika.

To make tea, melon seeds are crushed with a blender and poured over with a small amount of boiling water. After that, boil for 10 minutes and leave to infuse for an hour. The resulting tea is filtered. This broth is consumed no more than four times a day. Tea is effective for fever as a diuretic.

To prepare the tincture, the fruits are peeled from seeds, finely chopped and placed in a container. It is important to fill all the free space with pulp. Then vodka is added. The jar is closed and placed in a cold place for two days. It is useful to use such a tincture in the treatment of colds.

If an ordinary melon is bitter

The melon harvest ripens in late summer. Usually the fruits are sweet and juicy, but it also happens that they taste bitter.

There are several possible reasons for the melon's bitter taste:

1. Bitterness can be caused by the growing region. If melon was grown in the northern region, then due to the lack of light and heat, it could acquire bitterness.
2. Can cause such a taste the presence of nitrates, which were used as mineral fertilizers to accelerate growth and to control pests. If you apply a lot of fertilizers, the effect of their use will become negative and give bitterness to the fruit.
3. Fusarium. There are varieties specially bred by breeders that are not susceptible to this disease. But many melons still suffer from this disease. Fusarium enters the plant through the root system or develops in infected seeds.

Can i eat

Eat melon with a bitterness is impossible. As a rule, these are fruits infected with a disease, and they do not bring any benefit to the human body - and, moreover, they can cause harm.

Conclusion

The amazing Momordica melon is a real find for those who love to grow not only healthy and tasty, but also unusual fruits.

Now you know that not all of them fit for eating - when choosing a ripe melon, pay attention to what stage of ripeness it is. Momordica is used not only in cooking, but also for medicinal purposes. However, remember - if the melon is bitter, then you should not include it in the diet.