Cucumis metuliferus, commonly called the African horned cucumber, horned melon, spiked melon, jelly melon, kiwano, or cuke-a-saurus is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family, Cucurbitaceae. Its fruit has horn-like spines, hence the name "horned melon". Ripe fruit has orange skin and lime green, jelly-like flesh with a refreshingly fruity taste, and a texture similar to a passionfruit or pomegranate. Kiwano is a traditional food plant in Africa. Along with the Gemsbok cucumber (Acanthosicyos naudinianus) and Tsamma (Citron melon) it is one of the few sources of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert. In northern Zimbabwe it is called gaka or gakachika, and is primarily used as a snack or salad, and rarely for decoration. It can be eaten at any stage of ripening, but when overripe, it will burst forcefully to release seeds. The fruit's taste has been compared to a combination of banana and passionfruit[3] or a combination of banana, cucumber and lime. Upon tasting it for the first time on-air in 1987, David Letterman described it as "damned near inedible. A small amount of salt or sugar can increase the flavor but the seed content can make eating the fruit less convenient than many common fruits.
