What is the yellow spiky fruit called

“What is this thing – and er, what do I do with it?” Those tentative words are like music to a Kiwano lovers’ ear. Why? It means someone is about to discover the super healthy exotic fruit that we’re a little bit (ok, a lot : ) in love with.

What is a Kiwano?

Kiwano (sometimes known as a horned melon or kiwano melon) is an exotic fruit, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Seedlings are planted in spring and the fruit becomes perfectly ripe during the hot summer season (January-April here in New Zealand).

The fruit grow on low bushy vines which run along the ground.  It starts off small and very spiky and grows larger (the size of a large avocado is a good comparison for mature fruit) before turning a deep golden orange when ripe.

Inside the Kiwano’s golden skin is a vibrant green jelly-like pulp, which can be eaten fresh or used in drinks, savoury dishes and desserts. The taste is most often described as a refreshingly fruity mix of banana, passionfruit and lime.

How do you know when Kiwano is ripe?

A Kiwano is ready to eat when the skin is a bright golden orange. Look for Kiwano that are shiny, plump and deeply golden in colour.

How to prepare:

Due to its spiky horns, Kiwano might look little scary but are actually very easy to prepare and eat.

Hold gently on a board or bench avoiding the small horns (these are perfectly safe, just a little spiky) and use a knife to slice down the middle or lengthways. There are 3 main ways to remove the pulp:

1. The Scoop: Push a knife into the pulp several times to loosen it away from the skin. Then take a spoon and scoop out the pulp into a bowl (or your mouth.
2. The Squeeze: This is the fastest way to remove the pulp. As above, push a knife into the half Kiwano in several different places just to loosen the pulp. Using both hands, hold it gently between the spikes and squeeze the pulp into a bowl or glass.
3. The Muddle: This is best done with a Kiwano cut in half lengthways. Take a spoon and push it repeatedly into the pulp, so that the pulp all comes away from the edge of the skin. Using this method the skin becomes a bowl for the delicious pulp.

How to serve Kiwano:

Kiwano is an incredibly versatile fruit. It’s cool pulp is great in savoury dishes such as raita, guacamole, salsas & salads as well as in desserts, juices, cocktails, mocktails, smoothies, or scooped over yogurt or granola. Fresh Kiwano is also delicious sprinkled with a little hot sauce and sea salt. Another way to enjoy is to use the pulp as a healthy, refreshing topping for seafood, sashimi, tacos or grilled chicken. Or just eat it fresh as a healthy fruit snack.

Can you eat the seeds?

Yes definitely! The seeds are very slim and encased inside the green jelly-like pulp – so there’s no “crunch” when you eat them.

Can you eat Kiwano skin?

Yes the skin is edible – this is really a personal preference as it doesn’t have the flavour of the pulp. If you do want to eat the entire skin, just be sure to slice of the small horns first.

Kiwano Nutrition & Health Benefits

Kiwano are great for your health.  Hydrating and filling, they are also a source of magnesium, potassium and dietary fibre.

• Magnesium is an important mineral to keep our body in optimum working order. It aids better sleep by reducing muscle tension, helps to reduce tiredness, and maintain strong bones and a healthy metabolism.
• Potassium is necessary for keeping a normal water balance in our body, supports healthy muscle function, and contributes to children’s normal growth and development.
• Dietary fibre helps to keep our bowel movements regular, and well as helping us feel fuller for longer.
• Low in naturals sugars and kJ, Kiwano are a great choice for people who love the taste and nutrition of fruit, but are watching their energy intake.

How to store:

One final thing. Kiwano don’t like the cold and should be stored at room temperature or above 18 degrees Celsius (64F). So, keep out of the fridge! You can keep any leftover pulp in the pulp for a day or two at the most (it starts to go a bit watery after this.) As with many fruits and foods, the fruit’s flavour is at its best when eaten at room temperature.

We hope that covers off your burning questions about our favourite fruit! But as ever, if you have any questions just drop us a email or comment below.

Please note that I may earn a small commission from purchases made through product links in this article at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Last updated: March 20, 2022

Ever since I discovered dragon fruit, I have been on the hunt for other exotic fruits that we can’t easily find in the major supermarkets.

I recently stumbled upon kiwano fruit, otherwise known as kiwano melon, or horned melon. This odd looking fruit goes by many names, and its unusual, spiky appearance immediately caught my attention when I first saw it in a specialty grocery store.

Without knowing what it actually was, I decided to buy it so I could try it out. And I must say that I was quite surprised by its flavors and texture.

So, what exactly is this weird looking fruit with spikes and how can we best cut and eat it? And what are some of the nutritional benefits? Let’s find out more about the unique kiwano!

The kiwano is indeed a fascinating little piece of fruit. Yes, it’s a fruit, not a vegetable. The spiky, yellow/orange skin of kiwano melons will immediately grab your attention.

And when you cut one open, the soft and bright green flesh may surprise you even more.

The fruit is actually native to southern and central Africa, but has also been grown in New Zealand, Australia and parts of the USA in more recent times.

As you can see in the image below, the inside of this fruit looks very similar to the inside of a cucumber. But the outside looks more like a spiky melon.

So what is kiwano? A cucumber, a melon, or both? It seems as if this fruit is struggling with an identity crisis, but the kiwano is actually a member of the melon family as well as of the cucumber family.

The inside of the fruit is interesting. You’ll notice that it’s full of seeds, and these seeds are actually edible. The texture around the seeds is like a green jelly, which may taste kind of weird the first time you eat it.

What Does It Taste Like?

So, what does horned melon taste like?

The general opinion is that it tastes like a mix of cucumber, zucchini, kiwifruit and banana. I would say that that is about right, but I would like to add cantaloupe into that mix.

I also found that the taste in general is not very sharp or sweet, it’s kind of neutral. And that’s good in a way, as it won’t be too much of a shock when you eat it for the first time.

When it is very ripe though, the banana flavors will become much more prominent.

Other Names for Kiwano

The kiwano goes by many other names, depending on where you are based.

The weird looks of this fruit and with the characteristics of cucumber and melon mixed together, it should be no surprise that the kiwano melon has been given many exciting names.

The scientific name for the kiwano fruit is Cucumis Metuliferus. Cucumis is a a reference to the cucumber and melon family, while metuliferus is a Latin word that refers to the spikes on the fruit.

Here are some other known names for the kiwano fruit:

• Kiwano melon
• Horned melon
• African horned melon
• African horned cucumber
• Melano
• Jelly melon
• Spiked pear

So, if you’re on the hunt for a kiwano melon and you see any of these names, then you’ve probably found the right fruit.

Have you even seen other names for kiwano? Let me know in the comments please, as I’d love to know!

Cutting and eating a horned melon is easy, but to get the most out of the fruit, the following tips may come in handy.

The first thing you should do is make sure you choose a ripe kiwano. A ripe one typically is not too hard (and not too soft either) and has an orange color rather than yellow or green.

Also, make sure you properly wash the fruit before cutting to avoid getting your knife dirty or contaminated.

You can “drink” a kiwano melon by cutting it in half and then squeeze the contents of one half into your mouth. The seeds can also be consumed so you can basically drink everything that you can squeeze out of the fruit.

However, the more common way to eat this fruit is to cut it in half and then scoop out bits and pieces with a spoon. Do the cutting and scooping on a clean cutting board so you can also eat the left-overs that you may spill.

The seeds and jelly-like flesh of kiwano melons are excellent ingredients for fruit salads. The juice also does very well in cocktails. You’ll have your guests wondering what’s in their drinks!

And of course, kiwano melons can easily be added to green smoothies as well. That’s what I’ve done many times to add extra flavors to my smoothies.

But to be honest, because they are so unique and also a bit pricey, I prefer to simply eat a kiwano melon by itself. That way I can best enjoy its unique flavors.

Oh, and don’t just throw the shells out. You can use the hollow shells as a fun way to serve desserts!

Kiwano melon has quite a rich nutritional profile boasting a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Let’s have a look at the most important and most abundant nutrients that exist in kiwano melons.

As you can see, a kiwano melon is very watery, is low in calories and is rich in a lot of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and vitamins A and C.

Also worth pointing out is the relatively high protein content. This is because the kiwano has lots of protein-rich seeds.

Antioxidants

Just like with most fruits, kiwano melon is rich in antioxidants, for example through Vitamin A with carotenoids and beta-carotene, and vitamin C.

Antioxidants are crucial for our health, protecting our bodies against cell damage that we all get exposed to. It will help prevent disease and slow down the aging process. Vitamin A is also good for the eyes.

Magnesium is also a very important mineral, used by almost every single organ in our body, especially our heart and kidneys. And calcium promotes good bone health, and will help prevent conditions such as osteoporosis.

Although the kiwano fruit is indeed a healthy food and is high in important nutrients, it’s certainly not the most nutrient-dense type of fruit out there.

Kiwifruit for example is richer in nutrients, especially vitamin C and calcium. But that doesn’t take away the fact that the kiwano fruit is a tasty and nutritious alternative to the usual fruits we eat every day.

Believe it or not, there are actually some really nice recipes out there with kiwano fruit as a core ingredient.

Here are three recipes for you to try out:

1. Refreshing Kiwano Melon Smoothie

A surprisingly refreshing and nutritious kiwano smoothie recipe, with spinach, blueberries, banana and ginger.

I do realize that kiwanos are expensive, but as a smoothie fanatic I really love trying out new recipes, even if the ingredients are a bit pricey.

Here’s the complete list of ingredients. Feel free to experiment with other ingredients of course, but I find that the below mix works really well.

Blend it all together and you end up with a very refreshing smoothie that tastes delicious any time of day!

2. Grilled Beef with Horned Melon Sauce

A delicious and unique recipe for a sauce to go with beef. The sauce is made with kiwano pulp, lime juice, green onion, cumin and garlic, mixed together in a blender or food processor.

Once blended into a nice and creamy texture, the sauce can be spooned evenly over grilled lean beef, lettuce and cucumber.

You can find this refreshing recipe on Food Network.

3. Kiwano Sorbet

We all love a refreshing sorbet, especially on a warm summer’s day, but have you ever thought of kiwano sorbet?

This delicious recipe over at Peaceful Dumpling is definitely worth a try. It’s a rather simple recipe with 1 kiwano fruit, 2 bananas, 1 apple, coconut sugar, and water.

You will need a decent blender to process it all into one super tasty and nutritious sorbet!

Unfortunately it can be quite the challenge to find kiwano melons. But I do encourage you to keep an eye out for them, especially at big fruit markets or specialty grocery stores.

The unique flavors and texture of kiwano fruit should be enough reason to try it out at least once, and the nutritional benefits are an added bonus.

Do you love exotic fruits as much as I do? Let me know what you think of kiwano and other fruits you have tried in the comments below!