Kiwano is a vegetable with fruits about 10 cm in size, oval in shape with pointed conical pink growths all over the surface. Ripe fruits are bright orange in color. Inside, the green, jelly-like soft and juicy flesh with many fragile crunchy seeds, similar to the inner flesh of a ripe cucumber, which it also resembles in taste, but with a sweet, slightly wound banana, kiwi and lime-like tinge.

The fruits are not suitable for long storage. The skin of a ripe kiwano, including the protrusions, is light orange and should be firm, without stains and bruises. In some areas, the fruits are also eaten unripe, when they are more acidic, with a more vegetable taste.

The taste is suitable for use in both savoury and sweet cuisine. Only juicy pulp with seeds or juice is consumed. The fruits are halved and the pulp is hollowed out with a spoon. To obtain the juice, place the pulp with the seeds on a fine sieve and use a spoon or other suitable tool to squeeze the juice. After scooping out the pulp, the decorative peel can be filled with ice cream, puddings, creams, fruit salads and other desserts.

Kiwano contains significant amounts of vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. It is native to southern and central Africa. In the 20th century, it was domesticated in Australia and New Zealand.

The name kiwano is not the real name of the fruit, it is a trademark of a New Zealand producer, which has become known worldwide as the name of this exotic fruit.