Can this be eaten raw?

[Linda1970]

I just bought one of these and was wonder if you can eat this raw like othe kinds of melon? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_melon

[Veganforlife]

Hmmmm...the description sure is confusing, isn't it? Strange looking "melon". I'd say go for it, then if you don't like it, you can always whirl it up to create a green smoothie, adding it to other ingredients...

[Nenyath]

Well.. It did say on the page that a fruit drink was produced from it and it had a very unusual taste.. Do they heat fruit drink or is it just juiced? I say try it! You'll know if you can't eat it raw.. :o

Fly forever free..

[Linda1970]

Thanks so much for both of your feedbacks. My mom made soup(non-raw) out of this when I was a kid, and it tasted so good.

[Nenyath]

Please do tell us how it is raw too!

Fly forever free..

[RawTruth]

Okay, there's the info from http://www.cucurbit.org/family.html :

EDIBLE USE: Immature and mature fruit eaten raw like cucumber or, more commonly, as a cooked vegetable; sometimes also pickled or candied. The globose or ovoid fruit when hollowed out from one end, can be used as a soup bowl. Cooked young leaves and flower buds.

So, give it a try eating it like a cucumber.

Sounds like the leaves are the easiest part to eat, though. No surprise!

[Linda1970]

Okay, there's the info from http://www.cucurbit.org/family.html :

EDIBLE USE: Immature and mature fruit eaten raw like cucumber or, more commonly, as a cooked vegetable; sometimes also pickled or candied. The globose or ovoid fruit when hollowed out from one end, can be used as a soup bowl. Cooked young leaves and flower buds.

So, give it a try eating it like a cucumber.

Sounds like the leaves are the easiest part to eat, though. No surprise!

Thanks Rawtruth. I might try pickling if it's too hard to eat raw.