What is Kiwano and how is it eaten - all about "horned melon"
Fans of exotic fruits are interested in what Kiwano is and how it is eaten, because this tropical fruit is rapidly gaining popularity in the Russian market. Kiwano is also called horned melon for its yellow rind and soft thorns. This exotic fruit with a rich, interesting taste is eaten raw, and is also used to prepare original soups, salads, desserts and other dishes.
What is Kiwano and how to eat it correctly
Kiwano has an unusual shape - the fruit resembles small oval-shaped oranges with soft thorns on the sides. Its flesh is greenish and transparent, with many small seeds, for which it is often called the African cucumber.
The bush is a liana with small leaves and a large number of lashes, like a cucumber. Fruits of a bright orange hue reach a weight of 250-300 g and up to 10 cm in length. Finding out what kiwano is and how it is eaten, you need to take into account that green fruits may be on sale. It is not a species or variety; unripe, bitter fruits have green peels. As they mature, they turn yellow-orange with a red tint.
Calorie content and useful properties
Before eating kiwano, you need to consider that it refers not only to delicious, but also to extremely healthy tropical fruits. It contains a huge complex of valuable substances - vitamins A, B, C, PP, micro and macroelements (zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur), organic acids and sugars.
Useful properties of Kiwano:
- improves the work of the cardiovascular system;
- stimulates digestion and restores healthy intestinal motility;
- provides good vision, preventing clouding of the crystal;
- activates metabolism;
- lowers blood pressure;
- improves skin condition and accelerates wound healing;
- stimulates brain activity;
- fights iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficiency.
At the same time, 90% of kiwano consists of liquid, due to which its calorie content is only 42 kcal per 100 g.
How to eat Kiwano
The exotic fruit has a juicy, jelly green pulp. Kiwano tastes like a cross between cucumber, melon and banana, with a slight orange aftertaste. The easiest way to eat the fruit is fresh.
To do this, rinse the ripe yellow kiwano, cut in half and eat with a spoon. Also, the fruit can be cut into wedges and sprinkled with cinnamon, vanilla or other fragrant spices of your choice.
Horned melon is not only consumed fresh. It is used to make compotes, smoothies, and preserves. Since the flesh of Kiwano has a rather subtle flavor, it can be made sweeter, spicy or salty.
Kiwano's choice
When choosing a horned melon for the first time in a supermarket, you need to consider not only what kiwano is and how it is, but also how to correctly determine the ripeness of the fruit.
What to look for when choosing an exotic fruit:
- the rind of the kiwano should be orange;
- you should not buy fruits with green or red peel - in the first case they are unripe, in the second they may already start to deteriorate;
- there should be no dents, scratches or other damage on the peel;
- the color of the fruit should be uniform, without dark or bright spots;
- a sign of Kiwano's maturity is the rich yellow color of the thorns;
- the kiwano should be tight and elastic.
If you are planning long-term storage or transportation of kiwano, it is best to buy fruits with a greenish peel. After 5-8 days, they will be fully ripe and ready for consumption.
Storage conditions for kiwano are no different from storing cucumbers. The tropical fruit is best kept on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Unripe fruits have a dense skin that provides a long shelf life - up to 5-6 months.
Kiwano recipes
Kiwano recipes can be varied. The exotic fruit is used for mousses, ice cream and other pastries, salads and snacks, smoothies, compotes, preserves and jams.
Ice cream:
- natural yogurt - 450-500 ml;
- kiwano - 4 pcs;
- honey - 5 tbsp. l;
- ice cream - 200 g.
Cut the peeled kiwano into slices and beat with a blender along with other foods. Divide into small ice cream or muffin tins and place in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours.
Sherbet:
- kiwano - 2 pcs;
- condensed milk - 120-140 g;
- freshly squeezed orange juice - 400 ml;
- natural yogurt - 200 ml;
- coconut liqueur - 2 tsp
Cut the pulp of the peeled kiwano into small wedges and mix in a deep bowl with the other ingredients, then place in the cold for 2-3 hours.
Grind the cooled ingredients to a puree with a blender, pour into molds and send them to the freezer for several hours. Top the sorbet with coconut or coffee syrup when serving.
Sala:
- kiwano - 2 pcs;
- bell peppers - 2 pcs;
- radish - 250-300 g;
- tomatoes - 3 pcs;
- parsley and green onions;
- freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Rinse all ingredients and pat dry with paper towel. Cut into small cubes, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs, season with lemon juice and salt to taste.
Harm and contraindications Kiwano
Kiwano has a rich composition with a high concentration of active substances, so this fruit can cause allergies or individual intolerance. Therefore, it is advisable to use this exotic fruit in limited quantities, especially for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Kiwano is an exotic African fruit with an unusual, interesting cucumber-banana flavor. The fragrant fruit not only diversifies the usual diet, but also brings health benefits due to its rich chemical composition.