Despite the fact that they look like the world’s smallest watermelons, pepquinos (aka cucamelons, mouse melons, Mexican sour gherkins) are actually micro cucumbers. However, as cucumbers are a close relative to the musk melon, those who call them pepquino melons aren’t far off. They look exactly like a 3-4 cm watermelon on the outside, but have the crisp, juicy flesh of a cucumber on the inside.
The flavor of a pepquino is similar to conventional cucumbers, but slightly sour. The skin and seeds are all completely edible.
Despite the fact that these “micro-melons” look like something from a science fiction movie, they are not genetically engineered or modified in any way. They are actually a naturally occurring and quite ancient wild plant from South America that has just been successfully cultivated in Europe and now here in the US.
