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Snake gourd is healthy

It's fat-free and fibre-rich

Snake gourd belongs to cucumber family and is native to India. Not surprising, because very few countries and cultures know what to make of this snake-like vegetable that can grow up to two metres long and 10 cm thick. There are frequent mentions of it in Sanskrit texts relating to Ayurveda.

The gourd was first domesticated in India from wild species still found in South East Asia and parts of Australia. India, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia, Nigeria and parts of China are among places where it is popular.

Food uses: The snake gourd is also called tomato gourd in some parts of the world because the bright red pulp around the mature seeds is used much like tomato pulp in cooking. In India, the gourd is used as a curry vegetable.In Nigeria, the mature fruit pulp is used in soups, and the fruit are harvested when they are about to turn orange-red. Snake gourd can also be pickled. The stem tips and leaves are edible, but boiling is essential to remove the odour.

Hundred gms of snake gourd contains only 20 calories. It is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium and phosphorous. The fruit is rich in dietary fibre and contains many medicinal compounds. Some derivatives have been used as asbortifacients in China since the early 1920s. Trichosanthin, a compound derived from snake gourd, has ribosome-inhibiting properties that are effective in inhibiting the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in infected lymphocyte and phagocyte cells. This makes the snake gourd an exciting focus of research in the pharmaceutical industry.

RAJIV M.

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