What is bitter cucumber?

 

Bitter cucumber, also called bitter melon, actually owes its name to its bitter taste. The pulp is usually treated with salt before consumption to soften the bitter taste.

The fruit, leaves and seeds of the bitter cucumber are highly valued in the growing areas of the tropics and subtropics, especially in Asia, both as food and as a medicine.

Bitter cucumber, botanical name Momordica charantia, is also known under the name bitter melon, balsam cucumber, balsam pear, caravella or karela and in Japan as gōyā. These are vegetable plants from the cucurbit family (bot .: Cucurbitaceae)

 

• Scientific name: Momordica charantia L.

• English: Leprosy pear, Balsam pear, Bitter gourd, Bitter cucumber, Leprosy gourd

• Spanish: Calabaza africana, Pepino amargo, Bálsamo, Momordica amarga, Cundeamor

• French: Concombre africain, Momordique amère, Concombre amer, Margose amère

• Italian: Zucca amara, Momordica amara, Pomo meraviglia

The tropical vegetable fruits of the bitter melon have been a food that has been popular in many countries and especially in Asia for centuries and is also used as a medicinal product.

Momordica charantia is an annual, fast-growing climber that can develop very long shoots. The leaves are about the size of an outspread hand. The flowers are yellow and the fruits are green. Small varieties grow 6 to 10 cm long, while other varieties can be over 30 cm long. The fruits turn green and are harvested before they reach their yellow-colored ripeness. This serves an optimal aroma and gives the bitter cucumber a good shelf life. The bitter cucumbers are grown worldwide in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia (especially Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia), South America, Africa and the Caribbean. In many cases, the bitter cucumber simply grows wild in nature.

 

How do you use bitter cucumber?

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The fruit, leaves and seeds of the bitter cucumber plant are highly valued in the growing areas of the tropics and subtropics, especially in Asia, both as food and as medicinal products.

The bitter cucumber naturally lowers the blood sugar level, so you can lose weight in a healthy way.

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Are there any recipes for bitter cucumber?

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Of course! About the use of bitter cucumber in the kitchen: The vegetable is very widespread in Asia. The slightly bitter and hot-tasting vegetables are eaten in Southeast Asia and Japan, in China, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and the Caribbean, for example.

• Bitter cucumbers are braised, fried, boiled and filled with any other fruit, nuts, fish or meat.

• All components of the bitter cucumber are edible, including the kernels and seeds. The kernels are used as a spice in some parts of Asia. The coat in which the seeds are wrapped has a pleasantly sweet taste.

• Very often, bitter cucumbers are combined with various types of fish and meat. The bitter cucumber can be found in Asian curries, Chinese wok dishes and is therefore also pickled.

• In Malaysia and Thailand, for example, the pulp is fried with chillies and various spices. Coconut milk and salt are added to this, which somewhat reduces the bitterness of the balsamic cucumber.

• In Thailand, bitter cucumbers are finely cut and mixed raw in various salads. A special delicacy is a combination of bitter cucumber, shrimp and pan-fried coconut flakes, as well as a little coconut milk. Because the bitter cucumbers are very bitter, they are first peeled well during preparation. Then the fruits are cut open and the pulp and seeds are removed. The pulp is then cut into pieces and heavily salted. After about 20 minutes, the cucumbers have drawn enough water. The salt is rinsed off and the pulp can be squeezed out. The pieces can then be used as raw vegetables for a salad or for frying, braising, deep-frying or cooking.

• The unripe cucumber is also used in Thai cuisine. To do this, remove the seeds and then cut them into thin slices. They are then served as a mixed salad with other vegetables or fried in a wok.

• The raw bitter cucumber is often eaten with a chili dip (Prik Nam Pla).

 

Where can I buy bitter pickles?

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In Germany you can buy bitter gherkins in every Asian market nearby. When buying, you should only buy green, unripe fruits because they are still very firm.

If you want to buy a bitter cucumber in Southeast Asia, you will also find it on the smallest market because they are so widespread in the country's kitchen.

 

Bitter cucumbers are best before...?

 

The fresh bitter cucumbers can be stored for a good 3 weeks. Wrapped in a little damp kitchen paper, they even last for 5-6 weeks. But please always remember: fresh vegetables work best if you eat them immediately in the first week.

Bitter cucumbers are also available in stores as canned. Here, however, the canned food in a glass is preferable to those in metal. The problem with the metal cans is the plastic coating inside the can. This can contain harmful substances that can be released into the preserved food. Bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in many plastics, is particularly problematic. BPA is suspected of causing diseases of the endocrine system as well as the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The substance is also harmful to the liver and kidneys. In addition, he is suspected of being carcinogenic. However, one thing is certain: in a can, BPA gets into our food and from there into our body.

The only alternative is glass. And as pharmacists have always known: everything good comes in a glass! In contrast to the tin can and its inner coating, glass is not only tasteless but also impermeable. In Germany, baby food, for example, is therefore only sold in jars.

 

What are the ingredients of bitter cucumber?

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Bitter cucumbers are very healthy. They contain vitamin C and iron. They also contain carotene, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A.

Leaves, fruits, seeds and seed oil are used in traditional medicine. They contain fatty oil, insulin-like peptides , Momordin , Charantin and Momordicin . Unripe fruits are used in type 2 diabetes diets . Bitter melon is also said to be helpful in the case of worm infestation, bladder stones, fever and stomach ulcer.

 

Type 2 diabetes and lose weight healthily

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In February 2018, scientists from the Institute of Nutritional Science at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen reported that the blood sugar level in prediabetics and type 2 diabetics could be significantly reduced by taking an extract of bitter cucumber. The effects are likely to be even stronger in people who are already suffering from diabetes mellitus, explain the scientists led by study leader Prof. i. R. Dr. Michael Krawinkel. When it comes to type 2 diabetes, it is best to ask your general practitioner based on individual circumstances. The study found the following: The higher the initial value, the greater the effect on fasting blood sugar. An even stronger effect can therefore be expected for the group of diabetics than was observed for the prediabetics.

The cause for the positive effect on blood sugar levels are several components of bitter cucumber, it is said. Above all, the phytosterols found in the fruit - these are so-called secondary plant substances - are said to have a blood sugar-lowering effect. These plant components fulfill important functions in the human metabolism, for example as building blocks of hormones.

As the study also shows, the saponins have a weight-reducing effect, while the lipids reduce blood sugar levels - on average by 15 percent. "This is particularly important in order to avoid long-term damage caused by diabetes," says Krawinkel. "In addition, the bitter cucumber is ideal for preventive treatment."

So the bitter cucumber is a real calorie killer. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

People with type 2 diabetes in particular should always consult their treating doctor as to whether a supplementary treatment with bitter melon preparations is an option.

Sources used:

• Journal of Ethnopharmacology

• Justus-Liebig University of Giessen

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This article is about bitter cucumber, also called bitter melon (Momordica charantia). This fruit vegetable is a real superfood and not only healthy, but also helps people with type 2 diabetes to lower their blood sugar levels. It is also a calorie killer. The vegetables are also said to help with breast cancer. You can also use it to lose weight in a healthy way.