With at least four hundred years of history in China, the bitter gourd thrives in the southern provinces of China as well as Taiwan.
苦瓜原產於熱帶亞洲，李時珍在本草綱目中曾說明它的來歷：「原自南番來，十六世紀傳入中原。」現今在我國與日本栽培較多，其他熱帶、亞熱帶地區生長也不少。中國大陸以南方較多，尤其兩廣、台灣產量最盛。