Goya (Momordica charantia) called bitter melon or bitter gourd in English is a tropical and subtropical vine of the Cucurbitaceae family (like cucumber).
This very bitter fruit is common in Africa, the Caribbean, India, Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan and Okinawa. Goya is not usually used in mainland Japan.
There are many different species which vary in size.
The fruit is usually eaten unripe when the skin is green and the seed and flesh white as it becomes more bitter as it ripens.
When a goya is ripe, the skin is getting yellow and the seeds red.

This refreshing fruit is widely used for its medicinal properties as it contains a lot of vitamin C.
China and Taiwan inhabitants use it since ever in their traditional medicine to treat skin problems as well as digestion difficulties or rheumatisms.

Goya can be used in many different ways: fried, dried, in soup or tea.
The most famous Okinawa’ dish made from goya is Champuru which include fired goya with pork and eggs. Eggs make the dish less bitter.

We have different kinds of products made from goya as goya chips, goya chanpuru zuke, goya sanjo and goya tea.

Okinawa Products