This vegetable is Nigauri. (苦瓜) It is so bitter taste. It is one of special products in Okinawa that an island or other islands in south area of Japan. We also call it "Goya" that is a dialect in Okinawa. Goya was not well- known and eaten in mainland a few years before, however, becomes popular now. We can usually buy it at any supermarkets.
Goya chanpuru is Okinawan cuisine and becomes popular among us. I sometimes cook it and so delicious. It is also very healthy food.
I recently heard that planting Nigauri at home is one of natural prevention for global warming. Vine of Nigauri is like a green curtain to prevent sunshine from getting in through window. It is strong plant and not difficult to nourish. We can eat the fruits. It is isseki nicho
(一石二鳥). 一石二鳥 means "kill two birds with one stone".
I like the bitterness of Nigauri. Goya champuru is a essential food for me in this season.
7 comments:
it looks like a lumpy cucumber..is the taste in some way similar or not?
Wow! I think this is called a bitter gourd in English. We also have it here in the Philippines and we call is "ampalaya". The boiled leaves of this vegetable can also be drank to cure cough and phlegm. It is also popular here as being used in our local dishes. :)
I'm sorry I don't know lumpy cucumber and haven't eaten it, however, it is so bitter taste. Certainly there are a lot of lumps (knots) on this vegetable and we should put out the seeds by a spoon after cutting it.
To cook goya champuru. tofu and egg is essencial. Very easy...
Hello, Mr.(Mrs) sad angel.
Thank you for your first message.
Japanese charactor of this name is same meaning.
I don't know the effect of Nigauri as you mentioned. I imagine the boiled leaves are bitter, too. It is just "Good medicine is bitter to the mouth.
Japanese is "良薬は口に苦し" (Ryouyaku wa kuchini nigashi)
i meant simply a cucumber with a lot of lumps. (i believe that "cucumber" is Kyuuri in Japanese)
I thought "lumpy cucumber" was a name of special vegetable...
Kyuuri 胡瓜 in Japanese means cucumber as you mentioned. Nigauri is tougher and more crunchy than cucumber.
I first noticed that japanese also eat goya in asadora called Churasan. Im surprised because in my country we also cooked goya the way okinawan cooked except usually we don't include tofu. Just goya and egg. I watched Churasan that time because i want to know more about okinawa and im too lazy to read any article about okinawa so i just let this 'Churasan' take me to Okinawa :)
Love to see the beauty of okinawa and their dialect. Their intonation is also nice to hear. Watching this asadora made me craving for sataandagi but i havent has chance to try it yet.
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