'St. Croix White' Bitter Melon

Momordica charantia Origin: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands Improvement status: Landrace Seeds per packet: 6 BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED Life cycle: Annual The bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is an African crop that has become popular around the world, especially in tropical countries and diasporic communities. In China, most bitter melons are relatively smooth and pale-skinned. In India, they look more like their wild ancestors — with rough, knobby skin. In Okinawa, they're somewhat intermediate between the two forms. And in the Caribbean, where this white bitter melon is found, they are also much more similar to the ancient African ancestors.This white-skinned, white-fleshed bitter melon comes from the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. EFN co-founder Nate Kleinman purchased a few fruits in early 2022 at the central St. Croix Farmers Market, held every Saturday morning at the island's Agricultural Fairgrounds. One of the fruits was just beginning to turn n