Bottle gourd

Bottle gourd is an annual climbing vine with tendrils and softly hairy stems; its large leaves are heart-shaped with lobed, toothed margins. Big white flowers open at night; the fruit is bottle-, flask- or globe-shaped with pale-green skin, downy when young with soft white flesh, and when mature its shell hardens, dries light and becomes hollow with thick seeds inside.

Bottle gourd originated in Africa and has been grown worldwide since ancient times, one of the earliest domesticated crops. In Vietnam it is grown in gardens everywhere. The young fruit goes into gourd soup, stir-fries, salads and hot-pot; the mature gourd becomes a water ladle or vessel and is a cultural symbol in folklore.