Gac
Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng.
Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis) is a perennial vine; its ripe red-orange fruit has a red membrane rich in lycopene and beta-carotene; used for gac sticky rice, gac oil and eye-health tonics.
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Gac — Gac sticky riceGac — Plant
Gac — Leaves
Gac — Flower
Gac — Fruit
Gac — SeedsGac — Gac sticky riceGac — PlantOverview
Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis), whose seeds are called mu bie zi in Chinese medicine, is a perennial vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native from South Asia and Southeast Asia to southern China. The stout stem climbs by tendrils on trellises or fences; leaves are alternate, 3–5-lobed with a cordate base. Flowers are unisexual, creamy-white to pale yellow. The ovoid fleshy fruit is covered with soft spines and turns red-orange when ripe; inside, vivid red pulp (arils) surrounds the seeds. The flat black seeds have toothed margins and are known as mu bie zi. The red membrane is exceptionally rich in lycopene and beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, with levels far higher than in tomatoes and carrots. Gac is therefore used for sticky rice, for mixing with food, and for making gac oil for eye health. In Vietnam gac is a familiar fruit that ripens at year-end and is used for the red sticky rice served at Tết and weddings.
Life cycle
From seed to productPlant
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Momordica_cochinchinensis_305361488.jpg/1920px-Momordica_cochinchinensis_305361488.jpg
Flower
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Gac_Fruit_Flower.jpg/1920px-Gac_Fruit_Flower.jpg
Fruit
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Qu%E1%BA%A3_G%E1%BA%A5c.jpg/1920px-Qu%E1%BA%A3_G%E1%BA%A5c.jpg
Seeds
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Momordica_cochinchinensis_seeds%2C_by_Omar_Hoftun.jpg/1920px-Momordica_cochinchinensis_seeds%2C_by_Omar_Hoftun.jpg
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Vietnam (north & central)45%
- Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, Indonesia…)25%
- South Asia (India, Bangladesh)20%
- Southern China7%
- Others3%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Water82%
- Carbohydrates8%
- Fibre4%
- Protein2.5%
- Minerals2%
- Carotenoids (lycopene, beta-carotene)1.5%
Uses
- Food: red-orange gac sticky rice (Tết, weddings); mixed into rice and soups
- Nutrition: rich in lycopene and beta-carotene — supports vision, antioxidant, vitamin A
- Gac oil: dried membrane or pressed oil used as a functional food
- Folk medicine: mu bie zi seeds used for haemorrhoids and inflammation (use with caution)
Properties
- Form
- Perennial vine
- Fruit
- Red-orange, soft-spined
- Nature
- Warm (seed)
- Actions
- Eye health, antioxidant, rich in vitamin A
Habitat & conservation
Gac is a vine of hot, humid tropical climates, grown on trellises or fences in well-drained soil. It is propagated by seed or stem cuttings; fruiting begins in year 2–3 and continues for years. The fruit mainly ripens from October to January (year-end, near Tết). In Vietnam gac is commonly grown in the Red River Delta, the northern uplands and parts of the Mekong Delta.
Conservation
A widespread tropical Asian species, not yet assessed by IUCN (NE). A food–medicine plant increasingly researched in countries including Australia and the USA. Gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), genus Momordica.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Gac — mô tả, thành phần, công dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Anh, 2026
- 3Gấc — đặc điểm, công dụng, món xôi — Wikipedia tiếng Việt, 2026
- 4木鳖子 Momordica cochinchinensis — 形態、藥用 — Wikipedia tiếng Trung, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: 百香果 (CC BY 4.0) / 葉子 (CC0) / Luwenn (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Ron Diggity (CC BY 2.0) / Omar Hoftun (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Nguyễn Thanh Quang (Public domain) — Wikimedia Commons,