Old man mumble

Bitter melon, or goya, is a popular name for tsuru-reishi in Japan. The name goya is more common throughout the country, while goya- (with a prolonged ending, a characteristic of the Okinawan dialect) is more widely used in Okinawa Prefecture.

Bitter melon is an annual climbing plant that can grow to be 4 to 5 meters long. Its fruit is a long, narrow spindle shape, 20 to 50 centimeters long. The skin is covered in many small bumps, and the ends are pointed. When unripe, it's green, but as it ripens, it turns yellow and soft and then splits open (this also happens if it's left at room temperature after harvest). The aril, which is the covering on the surface of the mature seeds, is a sweet, red, jelly-like substance. Even when the fruit turns yellow and soft, it's not rotten; it actually becomes sweeter and can be eaten raw. However, it loses its crisp, crunchy texture.　- This information is based on Wikipedia.-