Horned melon
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| Horned melon | ||||||||||||||
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| Cucumis metuliferus E. Mey |
The horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus), also called African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, melano, or kiwano, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family. 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. Though the horned melon is native to Africa, 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 fruit is fairly expensive, known to cost as much as $4.99 USD per melon at grocery retailers in the United States.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 on 2008-07-17.
[edit] 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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