The bitterness of Ampalaya

What a Pinoy like me didn't know about this bitter gourd was that this lowly Parya is also known as Goya in Okinawa, Japan.  It is hailed as a significant part of the Okinana diet in Japan and recognized for its health benefits.

Ampalaya would have sounded a pretty name for a girl in India. But in India, Goya is known as Karela. To Ilocanos, she is Parya and to Visayans, she is Palya. Such pretty names for a bitter gourd.

Goya, Parya, Palya, Ampalaya or Karela is said to be high in Vitamin C. She has carotene and lutein which are believed to aid in digestion. The Okinawa diet program recognizes this bitter gourd for its plant insulin components known as Polypeptide-P known for lowering blood sugar levels which can aid in the treatment of NIDDM.

Ampalaya with eggs which my friend Lev would call it Ampalaya Omelette. As a student community organizer in Bacolor, Pampanga, Tess Briones showed me how to reduce the bitterness of Ampalaya by stirring the recipe with fork.

I used to be told a lot that Ampalaya would not be herself if she is not bitter.