Monday, July 31, 2000

By SUMIKO OSHIMA

Staff writer

It looks scary at first -- more like Godzilla's back than like something you'd eat. Nor does the first taste come easy. A bite sends a bitter flavor along the tongue.

Goya proves the rule: If it tastes bad, it must be good for you.

Once familiarity overcomes fear, though, you will like the bitter gourd, say fans of the unsightly vegetable -- a group that is growing daily. Proponents of the gourd's health benefits claim the warty skin becomes an interesting texture and the bitter taste takes on a refreshing zest, making nigauri a delicious part of any summer menu.

Native to tropical Asia, the plant, known as nigauri in Japanese and goya in Okinawan, was first introduced into Japan via China in the 16th century. For a long time, however, farmers on the mainland grew it only to shade their gardens from the sun, and its usage as a foodstuff was limited to southern Kyushu and Okinawa, where the hot summer weather caused a lack of other locally grown green vegetables.

Today, as tourism to Okinawa introduces travelers to famous local dishes such as goya champuru (stir-fry of bitter gourd with tofu, egg and other ingredients), more and more people are becoming accustomed to the vegetable. The gourd's popularity has also been accelerated by the well-publicized facts about its nutritional value.

One hundred grams of bitter gourd contains 120 mg of vitamin C -- much higher than many vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruits. Scientific data has shown this extremely rich vitamin content is not lost with heating.

Recent research has also suggested the vegetable may contain other potent ingredients for combating chronic diseases. Since scientists in India (a bitter-gourd-producing country) published a scientific paper in the 1970s stating that bitter gourd may lower blood sugar levels, the potential of the vegetable for preventing diabetes has attracted the attention of researchers.

Tsuneo Nanba, professor emeritus at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, says his group recently confirmed that bitter-gourd extract lowered the blood sugar levels of diabetic mice to normal levels.

"Some research has found that bitter gourd seeds contain an insulinlike chemical," he says. "But I think the effect of bitter gourd is something more synergetic, like ginseng."

According to Nanba, a pharmacologist of traditional Chinese medicine, ancient Chinese medical books recommended using bitter gourd to help stop dryness in the mouth, alleviate fever and fatigue, stabilize the emotions and maintain liver functions. The Chinese also use the seed and extract of bitter gourd as a remedy for diarrhea and male impotence.

Okinawan tradition also has it that the vegetable is a cure for natsubate, or weariness from the summer heat. Its bitter ingredients are said to stimulate digestive functions and whet the appetite.

"When I was a kid, my granny often made me a glass of goya juice in summer," says local food expert Yaeko Nishio. "It was very bitter and I always ran around trying to escape it, but now it tastes good to me with lemon or honey."

Okinawa is now the largest bitter-gourd-producing district in the country. Production has more than doubled from 2,700 tons in 1990, to 6,000 tons in 1997, most of which is shipped to the mainland. The vegetable's best season is June to August -- the bitter flavor increases as its nutritional levels peak.

In an attempt to jump on the bandwagon, Okinawan companies have put various bitter-gourd products on supermarket shelves, including goya sherbet, goya juice and dried goya. Goya tea, made by drying and roasting sliced bitter gourd picked in its peak season, is also popular.

"We've developed a method of keeping the nutrition in the bitter gourd while dramatically reducing bitterness," says Makiko Oshiro, spokeswoman for goya-tea producer Suiko Yaedake in the city of Nago, Okinawa.

To prepare bitter gourd for cooking, cut the vegetable in half lengthwise, discard the seeds and fibrous core, then slice into half-moons. Do not remove the skin. A dash of salt tames the bitterness.

Although it is best known in its stir-fried form, eating bitter gourd as tempura or in a salad with sweetened vinegar or soy sauce and dried bonito shavings is also delicious, Nishio says.

To make bitter gourd juice, grate the green surface and squeeze out the liquid. "Goya juice is also good for making jelly and sherbet," Nishio says. "The green color is really beautiful."

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