Or horned melon, spiked melon, or kiwano, also African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, melano 😊 oh my….have you ever seen or taste a fruit like this?
Of course that when I saw it at the supermarket I need to buy and taste it 😊
It is from the cucumber and melon family and it should taste a combination between banana and passionfruit, or banana, cucumber and lime. It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa but now it seems that is grown in the United States, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. Honestly in Italy I have never seen it.
Well for me it tasted of nothing, honestly. I couldn’t compare it with anything. I did not feel the banana or passionfruit maybe a little bit of cucumber taste. The flesh is refreshing and watery though.
But is a very interesting and fierce looking fruit with this horn like spines 😊
Also it is a traditional food plant in Africa, being one of the few sources of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert. They use it primarily as a snack or salad, and rarely for decoration. It can be eaten at any stage of ripening, but when overripened, will burst forcefully to release seeds.
I’m always looking for new flavours 😊😋
Happy 1st June everyone! 🌸🌸
