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| Horned melon | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Cucumis |
| Species: | C. metuliferus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cucumis metuliferus E. Mey |
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The horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus), also called African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, English tomato, melano, or kiwano, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family. Often known by its nickname in the southeastern United States - blowfish fruit - it is grown for its fruit, which looks like an oval melon with horn-like spines. The fruit of this plant is edible, but it is used as often for decoration as for food. When ripe, it has a yellow-orange skin and a lime green jelly-like flesh. The horned melon is native to Africa, and it is now grown in California and New Zealand as well.
In Zimbabwe, this cucumber is called 'gaka' or 'gakachika' and it is primarily used as a fruit-snack, salad and rarely for decoration. It is eaten young, mature green or when ripe - bright yellow/orange (eaten at any stage of its development). It grows naturally in the fields and also in the bush. However, some people leave some to rot in the fields for next summer seeds/plants. Its taste has been compared to a combination of cucumber and zucchini[1] or a combination of banana, cucumber and lemon.[2] Some eat the peeling as well. It has a replica that does not have horns, but looks and tastes similar. The seeds are covered in a gelatin-like substance. The skin is very rich in vitamin c and fibre.
The fruit is fairly expensive, known to cost as much as $4.99 USD per melon at grocery retailers in the United States.
Uses
A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known fruit has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.[3]
In terms of chemical make up it is similar to others in the family Cucurbitaceae. Please see External Links below for more information.
References
- ^ "Kiwano: It's what's inside that counts", The Seattle Times.
- ^ "Let's discover some more little-known fruits", Deseret News.
- ^ National Research Council (2008-01-25). "Horned Melon". Lost Crops of Africa: Volume III: Fruits. Lost Crops of Africa. 3. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-10596-5. http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11879&page=89. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Horned melon |
- Kiwano at GreenNet - Exotic Vegetables
- [1] at Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
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