Horned melons are a beast of a fruit.
- Horned melons are a variety of melon that are native to much of Africa, though not in the northern regions.
- The scientific name of horned melons is Cucumis metuliferus and it is from the family Cucurbitaceae, the family of gourds.
- ‘Horned melons’ are also known as ‘kiwanos’, ‘melanos’, ‘hedged gourds’, ‘jelly melons’, ‘African horned cucumbers’, and ‘African horned melons’.
- Horned melons are a cylindrical/ovoid shape and range from 6 to 15 centimetres (2.4 to 6 inches) in length and 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 inches ) in diameter.
- The yellow to dark orange coloured skin of a horned melon, is covered in sharp spikes of a horn-like appearance, hence its common name.
Horned Melon
Image courtesy of ccharmon/Flickr
- Horned melons have flesh of a translucent green colour with a jelly-like consistency, similar to the innards of a cucumber.
- Horned melons have a sweet to sour taste, and are compared to zucchinis and cucumbers in regards to flavour, perhaps with a hint of banana and lime or lemon.
- The water content of a horned melon can be up to 90 percent, and the fruit is generally available in the summer months.
- With its flesh and numerous seeds being edible, horned melons are an exotic fruit that can be eaten both raw, often in fruit salad, and cooked; and the flesh is sometimes used as an accompaniment to meat.
- Horned melons have a high content of iron and magnesium, and they have significant quantities of vitamins B and C, as well as phosphorous and zinc, and they contain other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Cucumis metuliferus, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumis_metuliferus
Welman M, Cucumis metuliferus, 2009, SA National Biodiversity Institute, http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cucumismet.htm
Health Benefits of Horned Melon (Kiwano), n.d, Health Benefits, http://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-horned-melon/
