Origin and Distribution

The bottle gourd is a common vegetable in India. It is yellowish green, having the shape of a bottle, with white seeds embedded in spongy flesh. It is cultivated since immemorial time, appears to have originated in Africa where it occurs spontaneously as it also does in India. It is now widely cultivated throughout the tropics, especially India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillippines, China, tropical Africa and South America.
The cooked vegetable is cooling, diuretic, sedative and antibilious. It gives a feeling of relaxation after eating it. It should not be eaten in raw state as it may prove harmful for stomach and intestines.