Plant atlas Short
Angled Luffa: The Vegetable That Becomes a Loofah
Angled Luffa / Silk Gourd · บวบเหลี่ยม · Luffa acutangula
Angled Luffa / Silk Gourd — บวบเหลี่ยม (buab-liam) — Luffa acutangula.
Harvest angled luffa — บวบเหลี่ยม, buab-liam — young for stir-fries; peel the ridges and cook it fast, before the fruit turns fibrous like a bath sponge. The edible part is the young fruit. In rats, an angled-luffa fruit extract reduced liver enzyme markers after chemical liver injury. The young fruit contains vitamin C plus beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A. Vitamin C helps the body make collagen, a structural protein in skin and connective tissue. Vitamin A supports normal vision and helps the eyes adjust when the light drops. In Pad Buab Sai Khai, you peel the ridges, roll-cut the luffa, and stir-fry it with garlic and egg; it turns mild and faintly sweet, a perfect side for a hot southern curry over rice. In Gaeng Liang, you simmer the luffa in a peppery broth of shallots, shrimp paste, and white pepper, and serve it hot with rice and crispy fried fish. Train this heavy vine over an overhead trellis so the fruit hangs straight, and cook it with a little oil, since the fat helps absorb that beta-carotene. Eat the fruit young; if a luffa ever tastes sharply bitter, spit it out, because that bitterness can trigger vomiting and cramps. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Stir-Fried Angled Gourd with Eggs — ผัดบวบใส่ไข่ (pad-buap-sai-kai)
Gaeng Liang — แกงเลียง (gaeng-liang)
Source: Jadhav VB et al. (2010). Hepatoprotective activity of Luffa acutangula in rats. Indian J Exp Biol 48(8):822-9. PMID 21341541
Safety source: Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong — Bitterness in Angled Loofah and Other Cucurbit Fruits and Vegetables (cucurbitacin toxicity). Https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_172_04.html
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, vitamin A
Research context
Luffa may support liver function in animal studies — Indian J Exp Biol, 2010