Have you been seeing some yellow round or oval fruits in the market places or in fruit Kiosks? Well, that is probably the Sweet Melon also called the Golden Melon. It is one of the fruits in season and it is a nice fruit to enjoy with your family.
The sweet melon belongs to the family of cucumber, water melon, ‘Egusi’ melon, gourd, pumpkin and squash.  It is in the same class as the honeydew melon, Cabasa melon, Canary melon, Golden king melon and Cantaloupe. If you like water melon, pumpkin and others you might like this one.
The sweet melon has yellow skin that contains antioxidants. According to a research work, it has more antioxidants than the skin of watermelon and cucumber. This is being attributed to its flavonoid content.  Flovonoids have been linked to improved cardiovascular health and been shown to have antibacterial properties. The flesh is usually white or light yellow and has a sweet and gentle flavor. It is very juicy and can re-hydrate you.The seeds are also edible, containing a lot of polyunsaturated fats and some researches have suggested medicinal properties. The seeds can be eaten but more studies need to be done on them.
Like the watermelon, the sweet melon has low calories and high water content. It also contains a lot of potassium and some vitamin C. Sweet melon contain some other vitamins and minerals like calcium, and folate. Consuming it with the skin will give your body access to some antioxidants that have are beneficial to the body.
It is not commonly consumed in the South of Nigeria as it is in the North but we’ve been seeing an influx of it into the South. You can purchase a small one that costs as little as N100 for a trial.  If you like it, you can enjoy this season and even combine with other fruits to get a fruit salad or a multi-fruity smoothie.
Thanks for the knowledge you share, Yeside! Since it’s not native to Yorubaland, I guess it doesn’t have a Yoruba name or perhaps it does. If not do you care to coin one? ☺
Hmm, I searched and searched but I did not find any local name for it. But it doesn’t mean that that names doesn’t exist, probably documented in an offline library somewhere.
I have no idea what name to give it. lol. What would you name it?
[…] had been thinking about ways to utilize the Sweet Melon (also called Golden Melon) when a Nutrition expert and lecturer that I am privileged to know, told […]
The Yoruba name is egusi itoo.
Interesting name. Thanks for the info.