It took me a while to make the connection between ridge gourd and the loofah sponge. The name ‘luffa’ is commonly used to refer to Luffa Acuangula, what we know as a ridge gourd in India and many parts of the world in its unripe form. The fibres from this gourd have been used to make the loofah sponge, long before cosmetic companies discovered them. Across India, traditional loofah fibres have been treasured for their skin enhancing properties for centuries, but India’s fascination with ridge gourd is more than skin deep. This dark green vegetable with white vegetable pulp (on the inside) gets its name from the ridges along its hard exterior. Popularly known in Odisha as Janhi.
Ridge gourd has always been treasured in ancient Ayurvedic diets that revolve around balancing the three doshas or biological energies found throughout the human body and mind. These doshas are derived from the five elements – vata for instance is a blend of space and air, kapha of earth and water, and pitha is a combination of fire and water. Ridge gourd has been known for its ‘cooling’ properties – it increases the vata and kapha while controlling the pitha. The vegetable is rich in nutrients – Vitamin C, riboflavin, zinc and is also full of antioxidants.
