Horned Kiwano Melon - Mild, Interesting

The Kiwano Melon, sometimes called the Horned Melon (Cucumis metuliferus), is actually a relative of the cucumber. Since it originates in Africa, it is also known as the African Horned Melon. In the southeastern US, it has been nicknamed Blowfish Fruit. The fruit is an oval, about 5 inches long and 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter. Since it is now being grown in New Zealand and California, more of this fruit is appearing on the American market.

This fruit grows on a vine like a melon or cucumber, and similarly, is an annual. Interestingly enough, the wild cucumber, Echinocystis lobata, that grows in North America has a spiked fruit like this, but it does not produce an edible pulp.

Kiwano can be eaten when the rind is still green, or when ripe, but the taste supposedly changes a little as it matures. I haven't had a green one, but it is reported to be a bit like a tangy banana. The taste, when ripe, is something like a limey cucumber. It's very mild. I have found references which say both that the rind can and cannot be eaten. I tried a slice. It didn't taste like much of anything, so I can't see any point except for more fiber. One source said the rind contains vitamin C.

An entire melon only has 25 calories, so it could be an easy way to have a snack that is almost negligible in calories, while providing nutritional benefits. One melon also has 40% of the daily vitamin C requirement. Vitamin A, Calcium, and Iron are supplied at values under 10% of the daily requirement.

Store at room temperature. This is a tropical fruit and does not need to be refrigerated.

What to do with the Kiwano Melon is an interesting question. It's very attractive, and makes a nice addition to autumn decor. When ripe the skin is a bright, mottled yellow-orange. Short horns protrude all over from the fruit, creating great textural interest. Once you scoop out the pulp the remaining rind creates an attractive bowl in which to serve fruit salad or sorbet.

Horned Melon is also good to eat, if you can figure out what to do with it! I've tried several things with the Kiwano, and I've decided that the best thing to do is just scoop it out with a spoon and eat it plain. Alternatively, scoop it out and drizzle it over something. But removing the seeds to produce a pure pulp for recipes is just too difficult.

The flesh consists of a rather gelatinous mass of green pulp, filled with nondescript white seeds. The seeds are similar to cucumber seeds, and aren't a problem if you just eat the fruit plain.

Quick and easy ideas

Eat it plain by scooping it out with a spoon.

Garnish salad with a slice. This is very attractive (see picture), but it's a real problem if someone wants to pull out the fruit to add to their salad. It comes out of the ring with great difficulty if all you have to work with is a salad fork, and results in really messy fingers.

Pull out the pulp in the kitchen and drizzle it over salads instead of, or mixed with, salad dressing. This would cut down on the calories in the dressing a lot!

Pull out the pulp and add it to topping on yogurt with other fresh fruits. You can actually taste a bit of the actual flavor of the melon this way. When it's blended with other things its flavor is overwhelmed.

Ideas that take a little more work

Blend the pulp with some soft fruit and drizzle it over a fruit salad, sherbert or ice cream

Blend the pulp with yogurt, and banana to make a smoothie. I tried this. It was fine, but I really couldn't taste the Kiwano at all, so there didn't seem to be much point in dirtying the blender.

My conclusion

I like the flavor, but it's so mild that it's lost when mixed with other things. I enjoy it most as part/ all of the dressing on a green salad.

Recipes from other sources

Melon with Kiwano Melon Sauce

Kiwano, Banana, and Pineapple Sorbet

Kiwano Pineapple Salsa