The ground melon is a highly nutritious ingredient, which is usually spindle-shaped and can also be used for medicinal purposes when ripe. It has many uses in daily life. Let's take a look at the uses of ground melon together.
[Methods of consuming ground melon]
When the ground melon is fresh, it can be eaten. It has a texture similar to that of grass needles, with a fluffy interior and a certain amount of moisture, giving it a slightly sweet taste.
When the ground melon is old, the entire shell loses moisture and cracks open automatically, causing the hairy interior to fall out. If it is too old, it cannot be eaten anymore because the fluffy substance has turned into a cotton-like texture, devoid of any moisture.
You can think of it as similar to the seeds of kapok, which are also elongated and contain a bunch of fluffy substances, with the seeds hidden inside.
Ground melon grows relatively abundantly on the grassland, and camels and sheep like to eat its tender fruit. It is a good plant as fodder.
The tender fruit of the ground melon can be eaten raw. It not only has a refreshing aroma and a crisp and sweet taste, but also is rich in nutrients, making it a very healthy wild fruit to consume.
[Nutritional value of ground melon]
The entire ground melon plant contains 1.5% rubber and 3.6% resin, which can be used as industrial raw materials. The stems are relatively slender, with a low level of lignification, a soft texture, and are beneficial for livestock to eat.
When the ground melon is fresh, it is favored by camels, goats, and sheep. These animals especially like to eat its tender pods. After drying up, the leaves fall off and its palatability decreases slightly.
From a chemical composition perspective, ground melon has a high nutritional value. Its protein content is close to that of purple clover and is comparable to wheat bran.
It also contains a good amount of crude fat and ash, with calcium levels being relatively high, similar to that of general leguminous forage, and a low amount of difficult-to-digest nutrient crude fiber (Table 153-1).
Not only is the protein content of ground melon relatively abundant, but the quality of the protein is also good.
