Cucurbitaceae

Cucurbitaceae is the family of pumpkin and squashes. Lately, i'd been to Kota Bharu and Cameron Highland to do market survey on vegetables. One of the common family being eaten and used is Cucurbitaceae. Here are some of the photos of those pumpkins members for all to enjoy. For starters, i display two species from the genus of Momordica followed by some Cucurbita spp.

Name: Momordica charantia L.
Common name: Bitter gourd, peria
Uses: Being eaten as vegetable and is believed can help to lower the blood pressure and cure diabetic.
Note: Available in Pasar Siti Khatijah but not found in Cameron Highlands.

Name: Momordica subangulata Blume
Common name: Bitter gourd, peria katak, kambas
Uses: Being eaten as vegetable and is believed can help to lower the blood pressure and cure diabetic.
Note: Available in Cameron Highlands

Above is the photo of pumpkin's shoots that are being sold in Cameron and it can be considered as one of the delicacies to the villagers there. Below are a few photos of Cucurbita or pumpkin being sold in Pasar Siti Khatijah and Cameron.

Name: Cucurbita maxima Duchesne

Common name: Pumpkin, labu manis, labu merah

Uses: Being eaten as vegetables

Note: Found in Pasar Siti Khatijah

I found two types of pumpkin that are sold in Cameron and Kota Bharu which are uneatable. They are usually being used by the Chinese community in Malaysia for prayers. Notice that there are very obvious lobes that are extended from one type of the pumpkin sold in Cameron. That pumpkin is only available during Chinese New Year especially for the occasion of prayer to the "Sky God" at midnight of the eight day of Chinese New Year by Hokkien people.

Below is another type of pumpkin used for prayers by Chinese citizens in Malaysia.