African Horned Melon : Adventure into the Unkown Superfruit

This adventure with this  horned fruit began during one of our usual grocery shopping trips, I stumble across this fruit that looked like something you'd see in a old video game. 

This orange hued melon with it's prickly horns called out to me, and being the curious person that I am I had to get one to see what it was all about.

The African horned melon is indigenous to South Africa but has been grown in New Zealand,Chile,California and Mississippi; known as the Kiwano Melon. These can be found in the produce section in most grocery stores.

This super fruit melon is packed with antioxidants,fiber, iron, potassium,vitamin C & E along with linoleic and oleic acids which are omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids that aids in the function and health of cellular activity.  

Now I know you're all wondering...What does it take like? What is the texture like? What do I do with it?

It has the cooling taste of cucumber or honeydew , slight tang of kiwi or mild lemon and sweetness of a banana. The insides are pod like sacs like pomegranates, the seeds are like cucumber seeds and the green fruit has the texture of mashed bananas or jelly.

You can eat the fruit right out shell, mix it into a smoothie, incorporate it into a fruit salad, mix it into a tropical margarita ( *Light bulb idea*). The possibilities are endless. 

Are you ready for the adventure?  

Horned Melon Fruit Salad

1 horned melon scooped -save shell

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup raspberries

1 banana sliced

1 orange peeled and sliced

juice of 1/2 lime

2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Fresh cilantro -optional

1. Mix juice of lime, honey and balsamic vinegar set to the side. 

2. Mix fruit and toss with sauce 

3. Serve fruit in shell and top with fresh cilantro