kiwano?

[pattycake]

Has anyone ever tried to eat this fruit? It's about the size of a small mango, bright yellow/orange, with spikes around the outside. I spent 4 dollars on one recently, since the poster at the grocery store said it had a "refreshing lime/strawberry flavored interior". I took it home, and sliced it in half, and I swear, I had cut open some kind of alien. Then, I tried to taste it, and oh my god, ick. The whole interior was full of seeds,each surrounded by a small slimy sack. I couldn't get past the texture.(Maybe that is a "cultural" thing, I don't know..)
Is this how this fruit is supposed to be? If so, what on earth can be done with it?
Anyone with any input on this??
Thanks
Pat

[cape chef]

Don't go to crazy trying to figure out a cool way to prepare kiwano.

It's kind of pretty from the outside,but that's about it.

It's just a cucumber pretending to be a fruit (or visa versa)

[mudbug]

Pat,

It's tough to beat a melon fresh off the vine no matter what type of melon it is. Kiwano's are in the melon family so it's a little divergent when the expectations typical of a sweet "fruit" is assumed. So if you think of it more as being in the tomato, melon, cucumber family of tastes, you might not immediately think "yuk". It is commonly used to compliment other ingredients in sweet and savory dishes.

The pulp should be a pale yellow-green colour and jellylike in texture with a sweet-tart flavour reminiscent of bananas and cucumbers.



If there is something specific way you'd like to try it, perhaps we can find a recipe for you.