Alien Ingredient #34: Dosakai

Dosakai to left of Mango

And here's another random fruit that I found surfing the produce section of the market, this one labelled "Dosaki" [sic]. Almost round, about as large as a small grapefruit, and bright yellow with a smooth skin, this fruit seemed to be a melon from the outset. So I picked one of the more yellow ones with yielding flesh just like I would have picked any other melon (and in retrospect, this may have been a mistake). It didn't have much scent, perhaps just a touch of honeydew. In the photo above, you can see it in comparison to a large Tommy Atkins mango.

Looks like a Melon or Cuke

Cutting open the fruit, it sure resembles a melon, so I scooped out the seeds and spooned out a bit of flesh. It was mealy in an overripe kind of way and sour like the rind of a watermelon, without a whole lot of flavor. I admit that I consigned my bite to the trashcan. Turning to the web, I found that this is a dosakai, a type of cucumber that comes from India where it is used in all manners of ways. Now knowing that, I wish that I had picked a less ripe one that I could have used in a pickle or a curry, like I would use a winter melon.

Vote: I'll pass. Persian cucumbers are better for eating. Winter melons seem better for cooking.