Horned melon or Kiwano is a fruit native to central and south Africa. Offlate it is also being cultivated in countries like New Zealand and Australia. The interior flesh of the fruit is jelly-like and can be used for preparing salads, purees, and juices. It tastes just like a cucumber or zucchini. This rare fruit has many health benefits such as:

• Horned melon is rich in a-tocopherol and y-tocopherol, the sub-categories of vitamin E. Both of these have several health advantages which contribute to healthy skin and good functioning of the heart.
• The fruit helps prevent dry skin and many skin allergies.
• This fruit is rich in beta carotene, popularly known as vitamin A which helps in bone strengthening and improving vision.
• The juicy melon is rich in lycopene and lutein which contributes to repair and safeguard of DNA, therefore decreasing the ageing procedure.
• This fruit is low in fats (1.26 g/100 g), high in moisture content and hence good for people aiming for weight loss.

The green jelly-like flesh can be scooped out of the spiny fruit shell and consumed with a little sugar. The pulp can also be used as a vinegar substitue in many dishes. Unfortunately, this fruit is not available in India. But if you find one, don’t forget to grab it.