苦瓜又名金荔枝、癞葡萄,属葫芦科。原产于印度东部,我国华南、西南各省栽培较多。因果实中含有一种糖甙而具有特殊的苦味,因而叫苦瓜。它质地细嫩,清香味苦,夏季食之,清热解暑。苦瓜有一定的药用价值,本草纲目中叙述:盛夏它“除邪热、解劳乏、清心明目。”夏季常煮苦瓜汤服用或作菜肴食用,有凉血解毒之功能,可防止中暑、喉炎、胃肠炎、皮肤炎等症,为南方人喜食蔬菜之一。近年来北方一些大中城市已相继引入种植。 Bitter gourd, also known as gold lychee, 癞 grapes, is a Cucurbitaceae. Originated in eastern India, China’s southern and southern provinces more cultivated. Because fruit contains a glycoside and has a special bitter taste, so called bitter melon. It is delicate texture, delicate fragrance, summer food, heat Jieshu. Bitter melon has some medicinal value, described in the Compendium of Materia Medica: summer it “in addition to evil heat, labor fatigue, clear eyesight.” Summer soup often boiled bitter melon soup for food or use, with cooling blood detoxification function to prevent heat stroke , Laryngitis, gastroenteritis, dermatitis embolism, as one of the southern people eat vegetables. In recent years, some large and medium-sized cities in northern China have successively introduced planting.