Description: An Okinawan heirloom variety with deep green skin color and a very mild bitter taste. Fruit is 3-4 inches in diameter and 8-10 inches long. This variety can tolerate high temperatures and does well up to 100 F. Harvest around 100 days after sowing. A famous medicinal food of the Okinawan longevity diet, this vegetable is high in vitamin C and other important nutrients.
Description: A unique heart-shaped variety of bitter melon, easy to prepare and with a more mild flavor. The large, softball-sized fruit is an early producer. The long, rambling vines produce tons of smooth skinned, dark green, bumpy fruit. Thanks to a slightly thicker skin, this variety is considered an excellent shipper and a perfect choice for gardeners wanting to grow bitter melon for the first time. Fruit range from 4-6 inches across. A favorite for stuffed bitter melon recipes! A wonderful Chinese heirloom that is always a favorite in our gardens.
Description: An extra-large light green heirloom from Japan. Fruit is large and uniform with a great flavor. The bitter melon is a dietary staple on the island of Okinawa, famous for its people’s longevity. The Okinawan people have been known for great health and record-breaking longevity for almost 1,000 years, due largely to their healthy diet. Bitter melon, called Goya in Japan, has been identified as a crucial staple of the famous Okinawan longevity diet, which is also part of the Blue Zone Diet. Goya champuru is a popular Okinawan stir fry bitter melon recipe, very commonly eaten by Okinawa’s centenarian residents. We love the vitamin-rich, miraculous fruit.
Bitter Melon Seeds, Jyunpaku Okinawan Pure White:
Description: A Customer Favorite! A natural marvel, the purest white bitter melon variety we know, it reminds us of the elegant white pearls found off the coast of Okinawa. The most stunning edible ornamental, this extra large and mild Japanese bitter melon bears pearly white, mellow-flavored fruit. Refined, less bitter flavor that is still quite nutritionally potent and health promoting. Okinawan bitter melon has been identified as one of the key dietary staples contributing to the world-famous longevity of the people of this beautiful Japanese island. The lightly bitter flesh has been shown to have medicinal value in regulating blood sugar! Interestingly, the bitter melon does develop a sweetness as it ripens. When fruit is mature, a sweet, bright red sac forms around the seeds. The seed pulp of this variety is the best of any bitter melon we have tried, a sweet cherry candy flavor! The thick fruit averages 8-10 inches long. The fruit is typically cut thick and added to soups or shaved thin and eaten raw; we have found the flavor to be by far the most superior of all bitter melon. This may be the truest Okinawan treasure, a beautiful secret to longevity and good health!
Bitter Melon Seeds, Long White Reishi:
Description: A true edible ornamental! The 16-inch-long white fruit has a subtle minty green undertone, giving the long vines a bejeweled look. The bitter melon is a pungent and intensely flavored superfood. We love this variety for stir fry, soups, and juices. The vines look fantastic climbing an arbor or trellis, as the fruit will hang like glistening stalactites.
Bitter Melon Seeds, Pearl Goya:
Description: These glistening, snow-white globes are a rare delicacy, even in their native region on the island of Okinawa, Japan. This dazzling edible ornamental variety produces loads of pearlescent round fruit, making a stunning backdrop for your garden design. The flavor is more mild than green bitter melon and even boasts umami flavor notes, making it a top choice for soups and a number of other simple yet delicious preparations.
Description: This tiny variety from Thailand (formerly Siam) has a potent bitter flavor and is an excellent choice for those seeking the medicinal benefits of this unique superfruit. Bitter melon has been revered in Eastern traditional medicine as a panacea for digestion and blood sugar issues for centuries. Considered a cooling food in Eastern medicine, bitter melon is consumed in the hot weather to offset external temperature extremes. This semi-wild variety from Thailand is quite ornamental.
