Bitter melon is known as Miss Efficient in Nigeria for its certainty as an abortifacient. In Cameroon the seeds are used as a pessary. In Nigeria a decoction of the leaves and salt is taken as a ‘morning-after’ remedy after ‘meeting a man’. In India it is taken monthly as a male or female contraceptive. There is reason to believe that it was introduced into Brazil by enslaved women coming from West Africa
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International Common Names
- English: balsam apple; balsam pear; bitter balsam apple; bitter cucumber; bitter melon; carilla gourd; paria; wild balsam-apple
- Spanish: achochilla; archicha; balsamina; carilla; cundeamor; estropajo; pepinillo
- French: margose; margose a piquant; momordique a feuilles de vigne; pomme de merveille
- Portuguese: melao de Sao Caetano
Local Common Names
- Angola: mimbuzu
- Bangladesh: korolla
- Barbados: carilla; cerassea; cerassee; miraculous bush
- Bolivia: balsamina
- Brazil: erva de lavaderia; fruto de cobra; malao de Sao Ceatano; melao de Sao Tana; melao de Sao Vincent; melaozinho
- Cambodia: moreas
- Caribbean: squirting cucumber
- China: ku gua
- Colombia: archucha; balsamina
- Ecuador: achochilla
- El Salvador: balsamito; balsamo
- Fiji: bitter gourd; kerla
- Germany: Balsambirne; Bitter balsamkuerbis; Bittere springgurke; Rebensblattriger balsamapfel
- Ghana: kakle; nya nya; nyinya
- Guam: alamgosa; wild bitter melon
- Guatemala: paroka
- Guyana: coryla vine
- Honduras: calaica
- India: kakara; karakara-chettu; karela; kuraila; pagel; pava kai; sushavi
- Indonesia: pare; paria; pepare; peria
- Iraq: a’jayib al-maasi; gul khandan; kuraila
- Italy: pomo balsamo
- Jamaica: cerasea
- Liberia: ga ge su lu
- Madagascar: morogozy
- Malaysia: kyet-hin-ga; peria laut
- Mali: lumba-lumba; manamat
- Mexico: cunde amor; cunde amor grande; pepino
- Micronesia, Federated states of: selwahkatik suwed (Pohnpei)
- Netherlands: springkomkommer; wijngaardbladlig springkruid
- Nigeria: akban ndene; daddagu; ejirin; garafuni; lele duji
- Panama: balsamino
- Paraguay: andai mi; andai nu; ani mi; calabacaita
- Peru: balsamina; papayilla
- Philippines: amargosa; ampalaya; ampalia; palia; paria
- Senegal: barbouf; beurhoh; liane mereveille; yombebute; zara
- Sri Lanka: pahal-kai
- Sudan: abu eloffein
- Suriname: wild soproro
- Thailand: ma hai; ma roi ruu; mara pah; phak hai; phak hoei
- Trinidad and Tobago: carailee; carilla; cerasee bush
- USA/Hawaii: peria
- Venezuela: maravilla
- Vietnam: cay muop mu; muop dang hona; muop dong