Like it’s exotic friend the pineapple, Kiwano is one of those versatile fruits that can be used in sweet and savoury dishes. We highly rate it as a cool, refreshing accompaniment to Asian or Mexican style dishes.
Are Kiwano good for you?
You bet! It has a very low natural sugar content in comparison to other fruits (just 3.8gm per 100gm of fruit), making it a great produce choice for those watching their energy intake.
Kiwano are a source of magnesium, dietary fibre, and potassium. Magnesium is the mega mineral that’s been getting a lot of press lately. Simply put, every cell in your body needs it to function. It helps to keep our teeth and bones strong, reduce tiredness/fatigue, and aid energy metabolism. Potassium is another hard worker. It’s benefits include: keeping a normal water balance in our body, aiding muscle function, and contributing to children’s normal growth and development. Dietary fibre of course is really important for maintaining healthy and regular bowel movements. Read our blog to dig deeper into why each of these nutritional elements are so important.
Cucumis metuliferus, commonly called the African horned cucumber, horned melon, spiked melon, jelly melon, or kiwano, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family Cucurbitaceae. Its fruit has horn-like spines, hence the name "horned melon". The ripe fruit has orange skin and lime-green, jelly-like flesh. C. metuliferus is native to Southern Africa,[1][2] in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Angola.
Kiwano is a traditional food plant in Africa. Along with the gemsbok cucumber (Acanthosicyos naudinianus) and tsamma (citron melon), it is one of the few sources of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert.[3][4] In northern Zimbabwe, it is called gaka or gakachika,[5] and is primarily used as a snack or salad, and rarely for decoration. It can be eaten at any stage of ripening.
The fruit's taste has been compared to a combination of banana and passionfruit,[6] cucumber and zucchini[2] or a combination of banana, cucumber and lime.[7] A small amount of salt or sugar can increase the flavor, but the seed content can make eating the fruit less convenient than many common fruits.
Some also eat the peel, which is very rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber
Germination
Seeding optimum germination temperatures are from 20 to 35°C (68 to 95°F). Germination is delayed at 12°C (54°F), and inhibited at temperatures lower than 12°C or above 35°C. Thus, it is recommended to sow in trays and transplant into the field at the true two=leaf stage. The best time for transplanting into an open field is in the spring, when soil and air temperatures rise to around 15°C (59°F).
