Bitter gourd often called bitter melon, or bitter squash in English, has many other local names sucha as karavella from Sanskrit.

The vegetable is very low in calories. Its pods are rich in phytonutrients like dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Fresh bitter melon is an excellent source of vitamin-C. It is an excellent source of health benefiting flavonoids such as ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin.