THE HORNED MELON The horned melon, also called African horned cucumber, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family. It is considered to be the ancestor of the other cultivated melons. Often known by its nickname in the southeastern United States, blowfish fruit, it is grown for its fruit, which look like oval melons with horn like spines. The fruit of this plant is edible, but it is used as often for decoration as for food. When ripe, it has a yellow-orange skin and a lime green, jelly-like flesh with a tart taste, and texture similar to a cucumber. In Zimbabwe, this cucumber is called gaka, 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. It grows naturally in the fields and also in the bush. However, some people leave some to rot, in the fields for the next summer’s seeds/plants. As traditional food plant in Africa, this fruit is potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable land care. Along with the Gemsbok cucumber, it is the only source of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert. Despite the fruit’s colourful appearance, it is not found any significant uses in Western cuisine and been called “astringent”, and the price is “exorbitant”. The important things of this fruit besides as a plain fruit in Africa is that ....

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THE HORNED MELON

The horned melon, also called African horned cucumber, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family. It is considered to be the ancestor of the other cultivated melons. Often known by its nickname in the southeastern United States, blowfish fruit, it is grown for its fruit, which look like oval melons with horn like spines.

The fruit of this plant is edible, but it is used as often for decoration as for food. When ripe, it has a yellow-orange skin and a lime green, jelly-like flesh with a tart taste, and texture similar to a cucumber.

In Zimbabwe, this cucumber is called gaka, 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. It grows naturally in the fields and also in the bush. However, some people leave some to rot, in the fields for the next summer’s seeds/plants.

As traditional food plant in Africa, this fruit is potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable land care. Along with the Gemsbok cucumber, it is the only source of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert. Despite the fruit’s colourful appearance, it is not found any significant uses in Western cuisine and been called “astringent”, and the price is “exorbitant”.

The important things of this fruit besides as a plain fruit in Africa is that ....

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