How to Grow and Care for Momordica

The bitter melon, which originated in Africa, is cultivated worldwide for its edible fruit. The bitter fruits come in various shapes and sizes and are commonly used in Asian cuisine. The fruits are sliced, sprinkled with salt, and then steeped in water to decrease their bitterness. For centuries, this climbing vine has been utilized as an herbal medicine throughout Asia and Africa.

Gac is most commonly found in Southeast Asia. It produces a melon-like fruit with orange flesh that's high in beta-carotene and lycopene and tends to temporarily stain the eater's mouth orange. Gac is a popular ingredient in Vietnamese wedding and holiday dishes.

This herbaceous tendril-bearing vine grows up to 5 m in length. It bears simple alternate leaves 4 to 12 cm across with three to seven deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere flowering occurs during summer and fruiting during fall.