Mature and immature ivy gourd fruit.

Ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis)

Common Names
Ivy gourd, scarlet-fruited gourd (En); tindola, courge écarlate (Fr); pepino cimarrón (Sp); 紅瓜 (Cn)

Plant Distribution
Tropical Asia, East Africa, Oceania

Edible Parts
Green fruit is used in soups and curries; ripe fruit used raw or stewed with other vegetables; tender leaves/shoots are eaten blanched, boiled or stir-fried, or in soups.

Health Values
Beta-carotene: high in shoots, low in green fruit, medium in mature fruit; vitamin E: medium in shoots; riboflavin: high in shoots, low in fruit; folic acid: high in shoots; ascorbic acid: extremely high in shoots, low in fruit; calcium: low in shoots and fruit; iron: medium in shoots and ripe fruit, low in green fruit; protein: 3.5-4.0% in shoots, 4.9% in fruit. Leaves contain ingredients that act like insulin.

Read more: Ivy gourd, in Discovering Indigenous Treasures: Promising Indigenous Vegetables from Around the World. 2009. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center.