Mysterious Kiwano - Fruit or Vegetable

Tell me what is kiwano, fruit or vegetable? Various exotic fruits began to be delivered to the local supermarket. If earlier there were only citrus fruits and bananas, now I am simply surprised at the rich selection. I saw some fruits for the first time. The other day, they brought in a new stranger, Kiwano. The label under the shelf says it's a vegetable. I took it for a try, as for me, it looks more like a kiwi-flavored melon. Maybe the sellers confused it and the Kiwano is actually a fruit?

In the big shops and markets next to our apples are quaint overseas feijoa, guava or kiwano. And if everything is clear with the first, then the situation with Kiwano is completely different: is this fruit or vegetable an original fruit with an unusual taste? The cut fruit looks a lot like an overripe cucumber full of seeds. But can a cucumber be sweet? On the other hand, it is very strange to use a vegetable to make cream on a cake. So what is this miracle and who it really is?

Kiwano - fruit or vegetable

Fancy fruits grow on lianas, strong lashes of which can climb up to 10 m in height. The shoots are decorated with shaggy leaves, the structure and shape resembling cucumber leaves, only more modest in size. Obviously, thanks to this, Kiwano was attributed to the pumpkin family and the cucumber genus. So from a scientific point of view, given the botanical identity, it is still a vegetable.

The confusion is caused by the appearance and taste of the fruit. They are oval in shape, small, about 10 cm in diameter and weighing no more than 300 g. Green Kiwano look like very thick cucumbers, only with outgrowths - pimples on the skin. Ripening, they become rich orange. Only the jelly-like pulp remains green. There are many white seeds in it, however, they can be eaten, like cucumber ones. Kiwano's taste is complex, it is impossible to describe it in one word: it is banana - lemon - cucumber melon... In other words, the watery flesh is sweet and sour, with many complex aftertastes. So, what we have in the end: Kiwano is a vegetable by belonging, but in essence and taste - a bit strange fruit, but low in calories (only 44 kcal).

One thing is for sure: the climbing liana with original prickly fruits is very decorative. It is often planted to decorate arches and arbors.

How to eat Kiwano

The sour watery pulp, although not everyone likes, is very useful. The fruits contain many vitamins and trace elements, and they also do not accumulate nitrates. So the harvest will always be safe. Regular consumption of a sweet vegetable enhances immunity, improves skin condition, and promotes rapid healing of its damage.

Kiwano fans have their own preferences for its use. In general, ripe fruits can be used in different ways in cooking:

just pick ripe pulp with a spoon;
cook jam or compote;
add to salads, both vegetable and fruit;
make snacks based on seafood and cheese;
put in desserts and creams.

Real gourmets eat kiwano in green form, pickling or pickling it. Or they add salt and pepper to ripe pulp.

Useful properties of Kiwano - video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiZm_qO77cc

kiwano