Luffa are best eaten when small (less than 12 cm or 4.5 inches in length) and still green.

In Vietnamese cuisine, the gourd is called “mướp hương” and is a common ingredient in soups and stir-fried dishes.

In Myanmar, it is known as that pwet thee.

In Hindi-speaking North Indian states, it is called torai , and cooked as vegetable. But in central/Western India specially in MP, it is called gilki. Torai is reserved for ridge gourd and is less popular than gilki in central western India.