Snake Gourd Harvesting: Hi Frieds, Snake gourd, (Trichosanthes cucumerina), rapid-growing vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), cultivated for its oddly shaped edible fruits. The snake gourd is native to southeastern Asia and Australia and is also grown in parts of tropical Africa. The whole fruit is eaten as a vegetable when young and can be dried and used as a soap. The leaves and shoots are also edible, and the pulp of mature fruits is sometimes eaten as a tomato substitute. Here the farm