Snap Melon (or Wild Melon) of Thar

Type: Fruit/Vegetable of Creeper type plant

Scientific Name: Cucumis melo (Plant Family: Cucurbitaceae)

Local Name: Chibhar

Name in English: Snap Melon or Wild Melon

Name in Urdu: Phut (پھٹ)

Name in Punjabi: Phut

Name in Hindi: Phut Phal

Name in Marwari (Rajasthani): Kachra

Name in Sindhi: Chibhar (چڀڙ)

Name in Bengali: Phuti

Name in Marathi: Phut

Usage and Benefits: It is a fruit of an creeper type of plant cultivated in Thar during monsoon season of summer and gets ripped before start of winter. This wild melon of Tharparkar is cultivated with pure organic way, so it is free from use of all chemical pesticides or fertilizer. This fruit is found in different shapes and sizes (like oval, rounded shapes) having different tastes, quality and colors. 

Creeper type plant with flowers of Snap Melon

Flower and Fruit of Snap Melon Plant

Raw for of Snap Melon which is getting matured

Ripen Snap melon

People of Thar used to eat this ripen fruit as raw in slices or vegetable dishes or sauces. Slices of this fruits can also be dried for using throughout the year for making vegetables dishes or fries.

Small size ripen Snap-Melons

Fried pieces of small size Snap Melons

As per nutrients elements of this fruit, these are very rich source of carbohydrates, minerals, , iron, calcium, vitamin C, dietary fiber and antioxidants.