Goya, or bitter melon (not “bumpy cucumber” as I first called it), grows in profusion here.
People give it away the way I remember neighbours begging us to take zucchini off their hands as a kid.
It’s bitter, but delicious. We mostly eat it in goya champuru, an Okinawan dish with tofu and… Spam. I never thought I would happily eat Spam, but in champuru, it’s delicious.
The past few years, it’s been popular to make goya “curtains” over windows and decks in an attempt to keep the heat out. As a result, goya vines grow pretty much everywhere, even down Yuigahama Street.
鎌倉ペンション・Inn By The Sea Kamakura 