The Luffa Gourd In Developing Countries

The intriguing Luffa Gourd has been used for Millennia for everything from food, to sponges, to engine filters.

I have found that most people now-a-days don't know what the origin of the Luffa sponge is or even what it is. When asked what a Luffa is, most will answer, “ that spongy thing found in the ocean”. When I explain to them what it really is and where it comes from, there usually is a bewildered look on their face. The next comment is---you mean it grows in the ground? And why haven't I ever heard of them? I explain that in modern times, with so many inexpensive synthetic reproductions made to resemble natural products, the organic Luffa sponge has largely been forgotten.

The most common misconception, that the organic Luffa sponge, or rag gourd, comes from the ocean, is blown out of the “water”. Actually, it is a relative of the cucumber family and has been grown for thousands of years in many tropical areas of the world. The origin of the luffa (loofah) sponge is unknown as to where exactly it came from, but most scientists believe it originated in Asia or Africa and actual cultivation first started in India. Carbon dating revealed

The women, wanting their skin to appear as youthful as could be, often scrubbed with vigor and over-enthusiastically. Cusack made light of the fact that many were so enthusiastic, they turned their faces and skin red as lobsters. She wrote in her article that the ever-growing popularity of the Loofah sponge was creating an exploding trend encouraging “a loafer, loofah, loopa, or lufhar in every wash basin in the land.”On a side note, there still is not a consensus on how to spell the name of this ancient and unique sponge. The two most common spellings in the English language today are Luffa (which is part of the scientific genus name) and