Cucamelon
Cucamelon: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
The cucamelon, Melothria scabra, is a climbing plant in the cucurbit family, also known as the Mexican sour cucumber. Its small oval fruits look like miniature watermelons, with green skin marked by paler bands and patches. This resemblance concerns their appearance: the flavour is closer to cucumber, accompanied by a tangy note. Cucamelon therefore has an identity of its own, through the pattern on its fruits, their small size and their distinctive taste.The fruits are commonly around two to three centimetres long and approximately the size of an olive. Their crisp texture and acidity distinguish them from a milder salad cucumber. Presented whole, they retain their clearly visible mottled pattern; cut open, they show a paler interior. Their culinary appeal comes from this combination of an unusual appearance and a familiar but sharper flavour. The miniature format is part of the character of the fruit, rather than simply making it…
