Name Variations[]
- kiwano
- kiwano melon
- horned melon
- African horned cucumber
- African horned melon
- English tomato
- hedged gourd
- jelly melon
- melano
About Kharbouza melon[]
Wikipedia Article About Kharbouza melon on Wikipedia
The Kharbouza melon is a vine of African origin, grown for its fruit, which looks like an oval melon with horns and is very decorative. Once native only to the region of the Kalahari desert, the horned melon is now grown in California and New Zealand as well.
It is an oval shaped fruit with horns on its peel. It has a bright orange and yellow skin with a pale yellow-green pulp inside. The flavor of the pulp is sweet and a bit tart with a flavor mix of bananas, lime and cucumber. Kiwano melon is native to southern and central Africa and is commonly known as an African horned melon. Most imported melons are now from New Zealand. California has began growing this melon, so a domestic product is available part of the year.
Picked green, ripened orange, the fruit tastes like a mix of cucumber, lemon, lime and banana. The fully ripe melon has a gorgeous orange rind with spikes. The yellow-green flesh has a gelatinous consistency, and contains whitish seeds similar to those of a cucumber.
Selection[]
Select melons without any bruises or spots with a bright orange color. It is best to purchase a melon that has the horns intact, as damaged horns may be a sign of rough handling. Kiwano melons are available year round in specialty markets and supermarkets.
- Season: Year round, mostly sold in August to December.
Storage[]
Unripe melons may be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks. Ripe melons will last about 3 to 4 days at room temperature. There is no need to refrigerate kiwano melon.
Preparation[]
There is no way to peel the skin off of the melon, so the fruit needs to be scooped out of the melon before using. The melon may be cut in half or into wedges to help extract the fruit pulp. The pulp may be eaten by itself, used as a topping for a sweet dessert or added to a fruit or green salad. The shell may be used as a serving dish once the pulp is removed, but the skin should not be eaten.
Source[]
- Exotic Winter Fruit by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, public domain government resource—original source of article