FoodFood InformationFruit
Botanically melons are in the same family as gourds and are related tocucumbers and squash, which also grow on vines. They have a very high moisturecontent and should have a high sugar content. Even though they are sweet,they have a fairly low calorie count.
All melons (except watermelon, which is a different branch of the same family)are structured similar to winter squash, with a hollow cavity that containsthe seeds. Their flesh is seed-free. The watermelon is structured like acucumber or a summer squash: The seeds are dispersed throughout the flesh,rather than being concentrated in a seed cavity.
Melons come in assorted sizes, shapes, skin colors, and flesh colors. Eventhough there are hundreds of kinds of melons, only about a dozen varietiesare grown commercially, and three of these comprise about 90 percent ofthe total melon tonnage. The rest of the melon varieties are not as a ruleas flavorful as the top three. These three, in order of tonnage and merit,are the cantaloupe, honeydew, and crenshaw. The also-rans, in alphabeticalorder, include the Casaba, Galia, Green Tendral (Spanish Melon), Juan Canary,Persian, Santa Claus, and Sharlyn. The also-rans should only be consideredwhen the top three are not available.
Choosing a perfect melon requires some degree of expertise, which is rewardedwith perfect flavor. Lack of expertise usually results in a flavorless melon.