As I often gape at the varieties of fruits in the world, this time, the fruit that has my attention is golden melon which is also known as sweet melon or honeydew melon. Unlike a month or two ago, golden melon has become the fruit in town. Walking through the streets of a city in Nigeria this period, there’s a very high chance that you will cross a hawker passing by with golden melons, or see a fruit store with the yellow fruit that isn’t grape. Yes, there is golden melon in Nigeria. Read this post to find out common stores to find golden melon aside the street hawkers that I mentioned earlier.
However, despite your meetings with golden melon, you happen to be the unenlightened individual that I was last year and you’ve been wondering what on earth the yellow ball of goodness is or you’re the individual that knows the name of the fruit but does not know it’s peculiar characteristics and importance.
Whichever category you belong, as long as your curiosity brought you to this page, dear friend, just read on because every bit of this post is for you!
According to the market woman that schooled me with a basic description, golden melon is just like cucumber, watermelon, and other fruits that you can categorize with the aforementioned.
And from further research,
Here is a list of 10 important facts you should know about golden melon:
1. Golden melon or sweet melon is botanically known as Cucumis melo and belongs to the family, Cucurbitaceae.
2. This somewhat oval melon fruit has a smooth, waxy yellow rind/skin, creamy white flesh and seeds.
3. The fruit has the taste of apple, water melon and gauva combined. Yea! It’s simply the complete fruit package with a taste you might be unable to describe.
4. The skin is edible; just like cucumber but unlike watermelon whose skin edibility is quite controversial.
5. Seeds can be dried, roasted, or pressed into seed oil. Thus, all parts are consumable. Also, the seeds are planted to grow the fruit.
6. The somewhat smells like the wild mango of southwest Nigeria which is locally called “Oro” and whose seed is used for ogbono soup.
7. Golden melon contains vitamin C, pantothenic acid, calcium, zinc, vitamin B6, fibre, magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamin A and omega-3 & 6.
8. It contains about 90% water thus, hydrates the body really well.
9. It contains potassium which according to recent studies releases signals which helps to stimulate and regulate the nerves and muscles contractions within the body.
10. The fruit prevents cardiovascular diseases due to its high amount of vitamin B6 and Omega 3 & 6.
11. It also prevents constipation due to its dietary fibre content. It’s a good fit for healthy weight management and cholesterol control.
12. Golden melon can also be dried to serve as a handy snack to be consumed anytime.
Fruits and vegetables are of immeasurable importance to the health. Although, it has become almost impossible to do without processed foods, fruits and vegetables are important as they promote a healthy and long life.
Thus, when you come across a fruit or vegetable that appeals to you, get it and consume it. They are nature’s gift to you to stay healthy.
In Nigeria, you can find golden melon in fruit stores. For example, in Ile-Ife, Osun state, there is this fruit store opposite Seven Days Adventist School. They usually sell golden melon. Occasionally, in the New Buka of Obafemi Awolowo University, you will find golden melon when its in season usually between March and May. The owner of the fruit store opposite that Seven Days Adventist school usually gets his fruits from Jos which implies that you can get sweet melon in Jos.
In Lagos, it is really easy to find this fruit because you can always find it on hawkers during its season. I honestly cannot count how many times I found this fruit on these children hawkers around. It’s practically in every junction. In Abuja, you can check out LaalfiFarms on Instagram. They specialize in dried fruits and can help you in getting fresh sweet melons.
If you’ve ever eaten this fruit, I’ll like to have a description of its taste according to your taste bud. Kindly use the comment section.
I’ve actually never seen these before, I’ll be on the lookout now
You should. It’s a ball of goodness
I actually had one of these late last winter and was so impressed I stuck 6 seeds in my garden and have just now harvested the first melon. It’s amazing!! I had no idea what it was called, so thank you for this article. 7 more are on their way:)
JUST BOUGHT THE FRUIT AND WAS CURIOUS ABOUT ITS HEALTH BENEFIT HENCE MY SEARCH BROUGHT ME TO YOUR PAGE. THE TASTE IS PLEASANTLY UN EXPLAINABLE. NOT TOO SWEET SO I WANNA EAT MORE..NOT TOO COMFY EATING ITS BACK, MAYBE WHEN BLENDED, WILL CONSUME ALL. BUT I LOVE THE FRUIT
“Pleasantly unexplainable!” Lol. You should eat more of it and try to eat the back together with the flesh. it’s crunchy and more enjoyable when taken that way. I’m glad you love it. It deserves all the love!
Even in Abuja,you can find it with children hawkers or the hausa boys that sell fruits by the roadside or plazas. Was just curious about the fruit too,it’s everywhere now,though just started eating it recently so wanted to know the health benefits. My first daughter loves it so much
Wow! Thanks for this information, Mimik
wow!! u can eat the skin too????? im thinking to cook the skin right now 😂 wait.. if i dried the seeds, i can eat that too???
Yes. You can eat the seeds if you dry them. You can also roast the seeds. However, I do not have any knowledge of cooking the skin. You eat it raw like that.
Hmmm… Thank you for this info. Seen this before though but eating it tasted so odd. At an instant thought it wasn’t good. But with this, I can eat it comfortably.
Secondly, thinking of soaking it for some days as a skin and a liquid drink in form of extraction. Would that be OK or I should I just blend it instead???
Hi Chidinma,
I’m glad you can now eat the fruit comfortably.
For processing, just blend it. If you soak it, you’re planning to make a wine from it😀. You could try it as well and please let me have your feedback if you do.
Since I tested this fruit, am in love with it, I think it is very good for people dt wants to loose weight
Okay.. it’s good to learn about this weight loss trick. Thanks for sharing, Chy
A colleague of mine brought something to the office yesterday. It’s look- pleasant! Though not so comfortable accepting edible items from people, but I begged a hell out of him until he gave me the one he brought for a friend. Though still skeptical, I just hoped it be as graceful and pleasant as it looked. Getting home, I sliced it into two equal halve. Hmmm, the flavor and taste of the drops from the knife made me all the more impatient. Quickly I pounced on it, and it was gone all too soon. I rushed to the garden, tilled the soil and planted the juicy, watery seed, just hopping that before return home from night shift tomorrow, I would be harvesting a trailer load of SWEET PLEASANT HONEYDEW GOLDEN MELON.
Still wondering what happened to the other half. I gave it to my SWEET GOLDEN HALF (My wife), asked her to eat it and tell me the story when I return back home tomorrow.
My research about this fruit brought me to your page. Ur description above is as sweet as the taste of the fruit.
All thanks to the Great Designer for this wonderful gift (SWEET PLEASANT HONEYDEW GOLDEN MELON).
Wow Jonathan… I’m glad you had a sweet experience of the fruit. How about the seeds you planted. Have they germinated?
I just return to Benin from my trip to Ogun state. On my way to Ilero, where my friends are based, i bump on this strange item, i wasnt sure what it was but the usual me got curious. unfortunately, the little girl couldn’t help me either. I managed to get to my destination and actually forgot to ask my friends about what i saw earlier. Just 2days later 1 of them brought it home and ask me if i know what it was, my curiousity rose as he handed me 1. It was so good and just as u described. Added to the watermelon i took before it, this thing cured my constipation of many days. On my way from Camp at Abeokuta,i bought 6 to take back to benin. I’ve found my new favourite fruit, i wish i can find it in Benin.Now i miss Ogun State,Abeokuta in particular.
This fruit is sweet, I like it, thanks for the info
The writer had described this fruit just the way I would have. I love the taste and the aroma. I have a customer who brings it to the office daily. Always waiting for her arrival. I wish I can eat it everyday
It’s taste is really nice 👍 l bought some on Saturday and I am buying more today. We all enjoyed it. Like you said it tastes like Apple and water melon. God is good for all His gifts to His creation
I eat it everyday. Those hausa hawkers already knows me. Curiosity made me come to your page to ask of the benefits
Hope it’s beneficial for pregnant women
I have been seeing this fruit everywhere I go in Lagos, curiosity drove me to ask a hawker what the fruit was called and I bought one. I took a bite I couldn’t describe the taste that first but it was nice, before I could search for it on the Internet I have almost finished it😀😀😀😀. The taste is a combination of guava, apple and other fruit I have never eaten this kind of fruit before and am glad I did. It me and this fruit before it season is over.❤️❤️❤️😀😀😀 Thank you for this article, it has given me more insight.
I have been seeing this fruit everywhere I go in Lagos, curiosity drove me to ask a hawker what the fruit was called and I bought one. I took a bite I couldn’t describe the taste at first but it was nice, before I could search for it on the Internet I have almost finished it😀😀😀😀. The taste is a combination of guava, apple and other fruit I have never eaten this kind of fruit before and am glad I did. It me and this fruit before it season is over.❤️❤️❤️😀😀😀 Thank you for this article, it has given me more insight.