Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.

Kundur (Benincasa hispida) is an annual climbing plant up to 6 meters long of the Cucurbitaceae family, originally cultivated in Southeast Asia and now spread to East and South Asia. Its young leaves, flower buds, and fruit are commonly cooked as a vegetable rich in vitamin C, which supports the immune system. In traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, kundur is also believed to relieve migraines, coughs, and help manage diabetes.

Kundur is a tropical plant also cultivated in subtropical regions. Grows at elevations up to 1,500 m above sea level, average temperature 24-30 °C, average rainfall between 400-800 mm/year, soil pH 5-6.5. Prefers bright and warm conditions.

• Roots taproot, dirty white in color.
• Stem woody, soft, hairy, and green in color.
• Leaves single, pinnate, lobed, smooth edges with a blunt tip, rounded leaf base, round stalk and green in color.
• Flowers single with both sexes at leaf axils. Calyx light green, funnel-shaped, split, and smooth. Stamens white. Anther round and green. Pistil white, petals yellow and finely hairy.
• Fruit elongated round shape, fleshy, whitish-green in color.
• Seeds hard, flat, white in color.

• Propagated generatively (by seed).
• Generally planted trailing near large trees.

Amino acids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, glycosides, essential oils, saponins, carotene, β-sitosterol, uronic acid, linoleic acid, oleic, isovanillin, sterols, triterpene, alkaloids.

Prevents flu, natural migraine remedy, cough, fever, diabetes mellitus, plays a role in energy metabolism, helps maintain digestive health, good for heart health, stimulates collagen formation, helps weight loss, detoxifies the body.

• Peel the kundur fruit skin, discard the seeds. Cut into thin slices.
• Dry with an oven (temperature 60 °C) for 3-4 hours.
• Grind the dried kundur fruit into powder.
• Pack in a clean, airtight container (can be a plastic bag). 

Gundur (Batak), Kundo (Aceh), Serdak (Lampung), Baligo, Beligo (Java), Kondur (Madura), Lela (Nusa Tenggara).