Netted melon, Smooth melon
Loose, Taped
Bernardi, B*Green
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
Melon (Cucumin melo) is a typical summer fruit, which is originally from various regions of Asia and Africa, where it was used as a vegetable in many local dishes. Today, it exists in two varieties: honeydew melon, that is the winter melon, and the summer sweet melon, with a smooth or netted skin.
Varieties
- Smooth melon – Its skin is smooth and light-coloured. The pulp is light orange and is characterized by an extremely sweet and lingering flavour.
- Netted melon – Its crunchy and firm pulp is characterized by an intense orange colour, whereas its ribbed green skin reminds a net.
- Honeydew melon – Its skin can be yellow or dark green, whereas the pulp is typically white.
Melon can be stored in a cool place, away from heat sources or sunlight, in order to preserve a correct maturation. The ideal would be to keep it into the fridge just a few hours before eating it, being careful not to put it against the inside wall, so that it remains cool and does not freeze.
Melon means noble
Melon has always been appreciated by the nobles: Henry IV of France used it as a remedy for the gout, consuming one melon per day, because of its refreshing and beneficial properties.
Alexandre Dumas: not just books
Alexandre Dumas pére, who suggested to “eat it with pepper and salt, and drink a half glass of Madeira or, even better, Marsala”, proposed to the Cavaillon Library a lifetime annuity of 12 melons a year in exchange for some of his volumes.
Melon is a real protagonist of The Meloon Festival in Roccamena (Palermo, Sicily), during which the harvesting of this fruits is told in an atmosphere made of music and entertainment.