Cyclanthera pedata

For the mountain in Peru, see Kaywa.
Kaywa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cyclanthera
Species: C. pedata
Binomial name
Cyclanthera pedata
(L.) Schrader
Synonyms

Momordica pedata L.

Cyclanthera pedata, locally known by its Quechua names kaywa[1] (pronounced kai-wa, hispanicized spellings caigua, caihua, caygua, cayua) or achuqcha[1][2] (also spelled achocha, achogcha, achojcha, achokcha), is a herbaceous vine grown for its edible mature fruit, which is predominantly used as a vegetable. Kaywa is known from cultivation only, and its large fruit size as compared to closely related wild species suggests that it is a fully domesticated crop. Its use goes back many centuries as evidenced by ancient phytomorphic ceramics from Peru depicting the fruits. It is also known as slipper gourd, lady's slipper, sparrow gourd (Chinese: 小雀瓜; pinyin: xiǎoquè guā), pepino in Colombia, stuffing cucumber in English, korila in the Philippines, and olochoto and kichipoktho in Bhutan. It is also called chuche karela in Nepal and Southern Bhutan.

Origin and distribution

Domesticated in the Andes and traditionally distributed from Colombia to Bolivia, the kaywa is now grown in many parts of Central America and also in parts of the Eastern Hemisphere tropics. For example, kaywa is very popular in northeastern India, Nepal and Bhutan.[3] The Moche culture had a fascination with agriculture and displayed this in their art. The kaywa was often depicted in their ceramics.[4]

Food uses

Typically, the fully grown, mature[5] fruits are eaten cooked, raw in salads, and pickled. The kaywa has a subtle flavour similar to cucumber. The fruit has a large cavity in which the seeds develop, and this can be filled with other foods to make kaywa dishes. This may have inspired the local Spanish name pepino de rellenar ("stuffing cucumber"). The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens.

Phytochemicals

The ripe fruit contains phytochemicals such as peptins, galacturonic acid, resins, lipoproteins and various steroidal compounds.

Images

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary) see: achoqcha
  2. ↑ Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary)
  3. ↑ "Cyclanthera pedata: from the Andes to the Himalayas". Crops for the Future.
  4. ↑ Berrin, K. & Larco Museum (1997). The Spirit of Ancient Peru: Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. Thames and Hudson, New York.
  5. ↑ It is inferred that the fruit is harvested at least mature, because when they are ready for harvest they have viable seeds in them, and that is the way they are found in the market; also, inter-harvest periods are of 2-3 weeks (immature Cucurbitaceae fruits, as summer squash, are harvested 2-3 times a week): Alternativa Ecológica, 2011-06-07. "Cultivo de Caigua". http://ecosiembra.blogspot.com.ar/2011/06/cultivo-de-caigua.html In: Alternativa Ecológica. Agricultura urbana y rural. Lima, Peru. http://ecosiembra.blogspot.com.ar

External links

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