An ampalaya is a widely grown vegetable in Asia, India, South America, and Africa. Due to the popularity of this vegetable in many countries, the ampalaya also has a wide variety because each country has a different name for this vegetable. In this blog post, I will list all the most popular names of the ampalaya and give a little bit of info on where these names originated from, including how to say ampalaya in English.
Why do we need to learn the English word of Ampalaya?
It is important to know the English word for ampalaya. First is because English is a universal language and ampalaya is a famous vegetable not just in your own country but all over the world. You can use this as trivia for fun in small friendly or family gatherings. It’s not necessary to learn the English word of an ampalaya but additional knowledge does not hurt. And its English term isn’t that hard to learn.
How to use Ampalaya in English sentences?
An ampalaya word is mainly used in a sentence as a noun. However, in Filipino, the ampalaya word can also be used as an adjective that describes a bitter person. For example,
Ampalaya word used as a noun:
- I was going to the marketplace today to buy an ampalaya but it rained.
- An ampalaya vegetable is very nutritious and healthy.
- Is ampalaya a vegetable or a fruit?
- Why is an ampalaya vegetable bitter?
- The ampalaya I saw in the wet market is so big.
- I managed to buy an ampalaya at a very cheap price.
- The ampalaya is on sale in department stores today.
- I don’t know why many people like ampalaya when it is so bitter.
- Is the ampalaya vegetable good for your health?
- Why does the ampalaya vegetable have so many names?
Ampalaya word used as an adjective:
- Stop being an ampalaya and just accept his apology.
- Just move on, don’t be such an ampalaya!
- Stop being an ampalaya and just forgive him!
- You are being an ampalaya right now, go with them already.
- You really are an ampalaya. Why are you so bitter?
- I didn’t know that you are an ampalaya, I’m sorry.
- Please don’t be an ampalaya, I didn’t mean to do it.
- My friend is such an ampalaya, he easily gets offended.
- You can call your friend an ampalaya as he is always bitter.
- You are an ampalaya, stop sulking and just forgive him already.
Most Common Names of Ampalaya
As many countries like and love the ampalaya vegetable, there are also tons of different names that the ampalaya is called. This is the list of the most common names for the ampalaya vegetable.
Ampalaya
Ampalaya is the word that Filipino people call bitter gourd. It is very famous in the Philippines and has a big part in many traditional Filipino dishes such as “Pakbet”
Bitter Gourd
Ampalaya is not just famous in Asian countries, many western countries also include ampalaya as an ingredient for their dishes. This bitter vegetable is also very popular in the US, Americans call ampalaya a bitter gourd. Thus its English name, bitter gourd.
Bitter Melon
A bitter gourd or an ampalaya is also equally known as a bitter melon. It is another word for the vegetable ampalaya in English.
Balsam Pear
Like the bitter melon and bitter gourd, ampalaya is also commonly known as balsam pear in many countries as the English term for it.
Margose
Ampalaya is also very famous and is pretty much included in many French cuisines. In the country of France, ampalaya is popularly known as Margose.
Cerasee
Ampalaya is also very famous in the West Indies and Central America. Bitter gourds in these countries are traditionally prepared as a tea that is believed to treat diabetes. These countries call the ampalaya vegetable Cerasee.
Pare
The ampalaya vegetable is very famous in Asian countries, the countries may be on the same continent but the name of the ampalaya also varies from one country to another. Pare is what the Indonesian people call the ampalaya or bitter gourd.
Kareila
Kareila is the term used by the people in India to call the vegetable ampalaya. This term came from the Hindi word “karela” which was also taken from the Sanskrit karavella.
Amargoso
In Spanish, the ampalaya vegetable is called Amargoso. The ampalaya is also very famous in Spain. It is included in many famous Spanish dishes and is also sometimes used and prepared as tea.
Paliya
This term is popular in the Visayas region in the Philippines. The word Paliya came from its Tagalog counterpart, Ampalaya. In the Visayas region in the Philippines, ampalaya is typically prepared by sauteing it with egg.
Balsambirne
Not only is the ampalaya famous in Western and Asian countries. It is also famous in Germany. The ampalaya vegetable is used as the main ingredient in many dishes in the said country. In Germany, the vegetable ampalaya is famously known Balsambirne.
What is the scientific name of ampalaya?
Ampalaya also known as the bitter gourd is considered a tropical and subtropical vine that is also part of the Cucurbitaceae that is very popular and widely grown in Asia, Africa, and South America for the edible fruit that it bears. The ampalaya which has the scientific name of momordica charantia has many different varieties that differ in shape and fruit flavor.
Conclusion
Due to the popularity of ampalaya in many countries around the world, ampalaya has also grown to have many names. Each country has different names for the ampalaya vegetable and it may become very confusing if you come across someone who knows the ampalaya by another name. So it is so much better to know the name of the ampalaya in English. It is also fun to know many names of the vegetable ampalaya and what different countries call the said vegetable.
Meet Tomas Clayton, a seasoned plant gardener who has been passionate about horticulture since he was a child. Tomas John developed a love for the natural world and a strong appreciation for the beauty of plants while growing up on a farm.
