What are the characteristic of ampalaya?

Answer 1

Introduction

Bitter gourd, which is known in the Philippines as ampalaya, is an annual plant that is native in this country. It is botanically known as Momordica charantia L. It can be grown anytime of the year for its edible shoots and fruits and offers a good supply of vitamins and minerals. The fruit contains the hypo-glycemic principle charantin, which is used to treat Diabetes. Bitter gourd is profitable when grown in small or large scale either in lowland or upland rice-based areas.

Site Selection

Bitter gourd grows in well drained soil. However, the best soil texture for the crop is either sandy loam or clay loam with pH ranging from of 6.0-6.7.

Growing Season

Although the crop can be grown throughout the year, the most profitable growing seasons are from October to December and from May to July because most of the areas are being planted to rice during these periods. Only the "tumana" or the fertile hilly-upland areas are being planted with bitter gourd, hence, production is limited. Plant the crop once every two years in the same area. Since bitter gourd is a heavy consumer of nutrients, the soil is depleted on the second year and thus needs soil amendments.

Recommended Varieties

The recommended varieties of bitter gourd are: the Sta Rita Strain with fruit length of 20-35 cm, and Jade Star and the Native (Fig. 1) with fruit length of 10 to 15 cm. The characteristics of the recommended varieties are presented in Table 1. Sta Rita Strain and Jade Star are preferred by Bulakeños and Pampangeños in cooking ginisa and sautéed recipes, while the Ilocanos preferred the native variety in cooking pinakbet because it easily shrinks when cooked as pinakbet, and the bitter taste is neutralized by equal proportion of tomato and fish sauce. Fruits of Sta Rita Strain have thicker flesh and don't easily shrink when cooked as pinakbet.

Answer 2

Introduction

Bitter gourd, which is known in the Philippines as ampalaya, is an annual plant that is native in this country. It is botanically known as Momordica charantia L. It can be grown anytime of the year for its edible shoots and fruits and offers a good supply of vitamins and minerals. The fruit contains the hypo-glycemic principle charantin, which is used to treat Diabetes. Bitter gourd is profitable when grown in small or large scale either in lowland or upland rice-based areas.

Site Selection

Bitter gourd grows in well drained soil. However, the best soil texture for the crop is either sandy loam or clay loam with pH ranging from of 6.0-6.7.

Growing Season

Although the crop can be grown throughout the year, the most profitable growing seasons are from October to December and from May to July because most of the areas are being planted to rice during these periods. Only the "tumana" or the fertile hilly-upland areas are being planted with bitter gourd, hence, production is limited. Plant the crop once every two years in the same area. Since bitter gourd is a heavy consumer of nutrients, the soil is depleted on the second year and thus needs soil amendments.

Recommended Varieties

The recommended varieties of bitter gourd are: the Sta Rita Strain with fruit length of 20-35 cm, and Jade Star and the Native (Fig. 1) with fruit length of 10 to 15 cm. The characteristics of the recommended varieties are presented in Table 1. Sta Rita Strain and Jade Star are preferred by Bulakeños and Pampangeños in cooking ginisa and sautéed recipes, while the Ilocanos preferred the native variety in cooking pinakbet because it easily shrinks when cooked as pinakbet, and the bitter taste is neutralized by equal proportion of tomato and fish sauce. Fruits of Sta Rita Strain have thicker flesh and don't easily shrink when cooked as pinakbet.