This tells the story of the bitter gourd, from its origins in Africa and its spread to Asia and beyond, its economic significance, health benefits and its importance to cultures and cuisines, before ending with the achievements of WorldVeg in breeding better bitter gourd!

Outside Asia, people may have seen what look like big warty or prickly cucumbers in shops and market stalls selling ‘exotic’ foods. But everyone in South, East and Southeast Asia knows bitter gourd as a healthy, tasty, popular vegetable. It’s also a hugely important crop for at least a billion people, economically, nutritionally, and medicinally. The bitter gourd market is expanding rapidly, and quality bitter gourd seed is in high demand by farmers. But, due to the low genetic diversity among common cultivars, new traits need to be introduced into breeding populations to develop new and improved varieties with better taste, higher yields and nutritional content, and greater resistance to pests and diseases.

Read the full story:  Bitter gourd bounty, a gift for wellness

The first of the series on the wonderful world of vegetables – A capsicum chronicle – is also available in French, Spanish and Chinese, see A capsicum chronicle – first of a new popular series on our favorite vegetables – World Vegetable Center (avrdc.org)