Nara melon

Acanthosicyos horridus

fruit · nuts & seeds

A spiny melon whose cooked pulp gives a sweet paste dried into cakes, and whose oily seeds are nibbled like almonds.

Origin

Namib Desert (Namibia)

Where to find it

The Topnaar of the Kuiseb valley still gather its fruits on the dunes; its seeds are exported as “butterpips”.

Season (United States)

January to March

Preparation

The ripe fruit is peeled, and the pulp cooked for several hours before being spread out and dried; the seeds are roasted before being eaten.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Pectins · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

It has no leaves: its spiny stems do the work, and its roots reach for water tens of meters down.