Caigua

The caigua (pronounced kai-wa), also called caygua, caihua, cayua, achocha, achokcha, slipper gourd, lady's slipper, sparrow gourd (Chinese: 小雀瓜; pinyin: xiǎoquè guā), stuffing cucumber, or korila, is a vine grown for its small fruit, used as a vegetable. Extracts from the fruit may have medicinal value.

Older botanical sources may refer to this plant as Momordica pedata.

Origin and distribution

Likely domesticated in the Andes, the caigua is now grown many parts of Central and South America, as well as parts of the Eastern Hemisphere tropics.

Food uses

The immature fruits may be eaten raw or pickled. Unlike many cucurbitaceous fruits, the caigua become quite hollow as it matures, and the mature fruit is often eaten stuffed. The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens.

External links

• Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne
• Photo at Solana Seeds
• Photos from the Ukraine