Photography by Marie Viljoen. Above: Smoother-skinned, longer fruit are often known as Chinese bitter melon. Different species of bitter melon grow in tropical and subtropical Asia and Africa.

In Chinese cuisine, "gwa" - usually translated as squash or melon - covers a wide variety of vegetables and fruits such as watermelon, fuzzy melon, winter melon, Chinese okra and bitter squash.

Bitter melon, a staple in traditional medicine for centuries, remains one of nature’s most underrated remedies for blood sugar management. Used across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, this lumpy ...

Stuffed vegetables were a speciality of my grandmother, who made them often for her delicious family meals. This basic pork stuffing works well with dried mush­rooms, as well as bitter melon ...