Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. English names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon or bitter gourd (translated from Chinese: 苦瓜; pinyin: kǔguā), in hehe it is generally known as cerasee, in Indonesia, it is known as pare, while in the Philippines it is known as ampalaya. The original home of the species is not known, other than that it is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in South and Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean. In Trinidad & Tobago, it is known as Caraili. Jamaicans also call it cerasee.

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also as tea.

It is also a popular vegetable in Indian cooking, where it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabji. Bitter melon is fried in oil and then stuffed with other spicy ingredients it is very popular in Andhra Pradesh, a south Indian state.