Culinary News
Ingredient Spotlight: Melon
September 20, 2015 | Ingredient Spotlight, New Discoveries
Melons belong to the same botanical family — gourds, or, more formally, curcurbits — as Cucumbers, Zucchini, and Winter Hard/Squash/Pumpkin. Watermelons occupy their own genus within this family; most other melons are part of the muskmelon sub-family, as is the Armenian Cucumber.
A summer crop that is primarily used as a fruit, most melons have a sweet-floral-fruity flavor and are served on their own or in a fruit salad. Melons pair well with salty ingredients to balance their sweetness. In Latin America, it’s common to see melon dressed with Lime Juice, Salt, and Chile Pepper.
Other popular recipes that showcase the salty/sweet combination include Watermelon Feta Salad and the popular Italian appetizer Prosciutto And Melon. For a dessert soup, purée your favorite melon, then add a dash of Vanilla Extract and a touch of Baking Spices.
Here is a list of varieties of melons:
(click on the links for more information)
Ambrosia Melon, Canary Melon, Cantaloupe, Casaba Melon, Charentais Melon, Crenshaw Melon, Fonzy Melon, Galia Melon, Goddess Melon, Honey Kiss Melon, Honeydew Melon, Kiwano, Korean Melon, Ogen Melon, Santa Claus Melon, Sharlyn Melon, Snow Leopard Melon, Spanish Melon, Watermelon, Yellow Watermelon