Guyana @ 50 - Karaila

Karaila/bitter melon/bitter gourd, you either love it or you hate it. I LOVE this vegetable and buy it often. Whether stuffed, sautéed, steamed or stir-fried, I would eat karaila frequently. I am sure that many of you, like me, when growing up, was faced with the tortuous experience of having to drink the juice of this vegetable to "clean out the insides". Mommy would allow us to arm ourselves with a little sugar in the palm of our hands so that we could eat it to get rid of the bitter taste in our mouth after downing the bitters.

Karaila/Bitter melon ©Cynthia Nelson