Plant atlas Short
Snake Gourd: The Five-Foot Thai Vine Vegetable
Snake Gourd · บวบงู · Trichosanthes cucumerina
Snake Gourd — บวบงู (buap-ngu) — Trichosanthes cucumerina.
Left on the vine it curls into a pale, snakelike rope that can hang five feet off the trellis. Picked young, the flesh cooks soft and mild, soaking up whatever broth it sits in. Thai kitchens slice it into gaeng liang soup, or fry it with beaten egg. It carries fiber, potassium, calcium and a little iron, and the part on your plate is the young, tender fruit.
Snake gourd is a light, brothy vegetable — it soaks up whatever it simmers in, so it lands in curries and clear soups. Pick it young, though: the mature fruit turns bitter and stringy, and its soft red pulp is best left off the plate.
Buap Pad Khai — ผัดบวบใส่ไข่ (pad-buap-sai-kai)
Gaeng Liang — แกงเลียง (gaeng-liang)
Source: Kirana H, Srinivasan BP. Antihyperglycaemic effect of Trichosanthes cucumerina in diabetic rats. Indian J Pharmacol 2008;40(3):103-6. PMID:20040935; DOI:10.4103/0253-7613.42301. Phenolic, antioxidant and dietary-fiber analysis of plant parts (in vitro): International Journal of Food Science 2016. PMID:27995134.
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: fiber, potassium, iron, calcium
Research context
In diabetic rats, a snake gourd extract lowered blood sugar and raised stored glycogen — Indian J Pharmacol, 2008