Generally, African Horned Cucumbers are oval in shape, about 6 cm long and 6 cm wide, with sharp, prominent spines or horns on them. The immature fruit is dark green with grey spots, turning bright orange when ripe. The fruit’s flesh is bright lime green and jelly-like, with lots of seeds suspended in jelly capsules and grows on climbing vines with spiny, hairy leaves. The fruit can be prolific, producing 100 fruit per branch, and expands on climbers with spiny, hairy leaves.
The immature fruit tastes a bit like a standard cucumber and can be pickled. Things get more interesting once it’s ripe: By various accounts When green, it tastes like a sweet citrus cucumber and when ripe, it tastes like a combination of banana, kiwi, and citrus. This is an annual plant that grows during the summer.
The Khoisan people of the Kalahari traditionally roast the fruit, strain the flesh, and cook the leaves. The fruit is 80% water, which means they are a good source of fluids in dry areas. The green, immature fruit can be eaten in the same way as commercially available cucumbers in salads or pickled in vinegar like gherkins. The flesh can be scooped out of the mature fruit with a spoon and eaten as is or strained free of the pips for making fresh juice.
In Zimbabwe, this cucumber is called ‘Gaka’ or ‘Gakachika’ and is primarily used as a fruit snack or salad. It is eaten young, mature green, or when ripe – bright yellow/orange (i.e eaten at any stage of its development) and it grows naturally in the fields and also in the bush.
how does AFRICAN HORNED CUCUMBER Taste?
when you slice the African cucumber you’ll notice that the inside is a bright green colour that makes this like so much cooler that’s like a contrast of orange and green it’s pretty neat it’s like an alien-looking thing. The appearance of the fruit is magnificent. what is more . Some people throw out the seeds of the african horned cucumber and some just swallow them inside. Don’t worry you can swallow them they are edible. The flavour o the African horned cucumber is quite similar to the normal cocumbers especially with the seeds,. however, It has a small tarteness if you know the cucumber generallly does not have that. You could add this to make your salad that will suit it.