When was bitter melon introduced to China?
Bitter melon, also known as balsam pear, liang gua, and other names, is an annual climbing plant of the genus Momordica in the Cucurbitaceae family. It is widely cultivated in tropical to temperate regions around the world, and is commonly grown in both northern and southern China. The fruit tastes sweet and bitter, and is mainly used as a vegetable; it can also be candied, and the ripe flesh and aril are also edible. Let us take a look below at when bitter melon was introduced to China!
When was bitter melon introduced to China?
Bitter melon is native to the East Indies. There are no records of bitter melon in China before the Ming Dynasty, and it is generally believed to have been brought back during Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas. Fei Xin, who accompanied Zheng He, recorded bitter melon in his book "Xingcha Shenglan," and in the contemporaneous "Jiuhuang Bencao" (Materia Medica for Famine Relief), bitter melon was listed as one of the famine-relief crops. However, eating bitter melon was not widespread at the time, and it only became popular in the south after the mid-Ming Dynasty.
Why is bitter melon bitter?
The bitterness of bitter melon is caused by two substances. One is momordicin, which is unique to cucurbit plants and exists mainly in the form of glycosides in the melon. The other substance is called elaterase. If both substances are present at the same time, bitterness occurs. In fact, these are "natural pesticides" synthesized by the plant, used to resist pests, diseases, and other adverse conditions.
What are the benefits of eating bitter melon?
1. Promoting diet: The momordicosides and bitter principles in bitter melon can stimulate appetite and strengthen the spleen and stomach. The alkaloid quinine it contains has diuretic and blood-activating effects, reduces inflammation and fever, and clears the mind and improves eyesight.
2. Cancer prevention and anti-cancer: The protein components and large amounts of vitamin C in bitter melon can enhance the body's immune function, enabling immune cells to kill cancer cells, and can also strengthen macrophage activity.
3. Lowering blood sugar: Fresh bitter melon juice contains momordicosides and insulin-like substances, which have a good blood-sugar-lowering effect, making it an ideal food for diabetic patients.
4. Health care and beauty: In the hot summer, women who frequently apply chilled bitter melon slices can immediately relieve skin dryness, and bitter melon can also moisturize and whiten the skin, soothe and moisturize the skin.
5. Weight loss: The bitter melon weight-loss method requires persistence and eating at least two to three melons per day, while also supplementing necessary nutrients. Eating bitter melon alone cannot provide the nutrients the body needs, so overall health should be the principle.