Is it even really summer before you’ve eaten a juicy wedge of watermelon? Or a piece of prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe? How about Tajín-dusted honeydew? We think not. While you and these three popular melons go way back, there are a ton more to explore. Did you know that melons have been around for more than 4,000 years? In fact, there are nearly 40 types of melons out there, and we’re on a mission to taste as many of them as we can. Here are 20 kinds to look out for, plus recipes to try with each one.
RELATED: 50 Watermelon Recipes to Make (and Eat) All Summer
Scientific name: Citrullus lanatus
Taste: Sweet, refreshing, juicy
Watermelon is a must at every summer soiree, and if you’ve tasted it before, it should be no mystery why. To pick a ripe one at the grocery store or farmers market, look for a watermelon that’s deep green in color with a cream- or yellow-colored ground spot. Pick it up and give the ground spot a hard tap—if it sounds deep and hollow, it’s ready to devour.
Recipes: Grilled Watermelon-Feta Skewers, Vegetarian Watermelon Poke Bowls, Grilled Watermelon Steaks
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis
Taste: Sweet, tender
Unlike watermelon, cantaloupe has a firmer, less mealy texture. So, we love serving it with different charcuterie meats and proteins because it holds its shape and isn’t as watery. They’re at peak deliciousness come late spring. Look for cantaloupes that are tan with light green lines on the outside and free of soft spots.
Recipes: Cantaloupe-Mint Sorbet, Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad, Frozen Cantaloupe Cocktail
Scientific name: Cucumis melo L. (Inodorus Group) ‘Honey Dew’
Taste: Light, slightly sweet, mild
This melon, which is in season from June through October, is wildly underrated. It can offer a light sweetness to salads, frozen yogurt, smoothies and even cocktails. You know a honeydew is ripe when the rind is a creamy yellow color and smooth or waxy to the touch; it should feel a bit springy on the bottom.
Recipes: Melon Salad with Chili Powder, Mint, Lime and Flaky Salt, Fresh Honeydew Margarita, Melon Basil Burrata Salad with Crispy Prosciutto
Scientific name: Benincasa hispida
Taste: Vegetal, refreshing, slightly grassy
Despite being harvested mostly during the summer, winter melon gets its name for its long shelf life, a result of its durable waxy skin. Since its flavor is very mild, its often used like a vegetable in soups, stir-fries and stews. It’s also popular to candy or preserve it, hence its other name, Chinese pickling melon.
Recipes: Chinese Winter Melon Soup, Winter Melon Stir-Fry, Fried Winter Melon and Pork
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. Inodorus ‘Golden Casaba’
Taste: Spicy, aromatic, slightly sweet
If you’re wondering why this melon looks closer to a squash or pumpkin than a watermelon, it’s because melons are actually part of the gourd family, along with cucumbers. A type of muskmelon that’s closely related to honeydew and cantaloupe, casaba is named after its place of origin, Kasaba, Turkey. Use them in smoothies, soups, curries or sorbet, or just snack on them raw.
Recipes: Casaba Melon and Mint Salsa, Casaba Melon with Creamy, Sweet Curry, Chilled Melon and Cucumber Soup
Scientific name: Cucumis melo
Taste: Sweet, crunchy
A cultivar of the musk melon family, Persian melons are elongated and smooth with yellow banded skin and orange flesh. They taste similar to cantaloupe, but their large size makes them milder in flavor.
Recipes: Persian Melon Salad, Kharbozeh and Persian Melon Popsicle
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. reticulatus
Taste: Sweet, spicy, juicy
Created in Israel in the 1970s, the galia is a cross between cantaloupe and honeydew. It looks similar to honeydew on the inside, thanks to its pale green flesh, but the outside is closer to cantaloupe with its netted rind. They’re even sweeter than ripe cantaloupe in taste, so serve it as a refreshing dessert with summer berries, alongside vanilla ice cream or turn it into sorbet.
Recipes: Galia Melon, Kiwi, Serrano and Goat Cheese Salad, Pickled Galia Melon Salad, Melon-Yogurt Dessert with Almond Brittle
Scientific name: Cucumis melo momordica
Taste: Sour, bitter, mealy
Snap melons are native to Asia and grow on their own with the help of pollinating insects, meaning they’re self-sufficient and a single climbing vine is all you need to grow them. Due to their flavor, snap melons are tastiest when combined with other sweet melons and fruits or sugar.
Recipes: Healthy Snap Melon Kulfi, Snap Melon Smoothie
Scientific name: Cucumis melo L. (Inodorus Group) ‘Canary’
Taste: Sweet, tangy, juicy
Named for its sunny yellow rind, canary melon’s flavor is like honeydew with a distinct tanginess. Its texture is firmer than mealy watermelon, like a pear. In Asia and South America where it’s cultivated, it’s used in fruit salads and enjoyed raw at breakfast. They also pair beautifully with fresh citrus and herbs.
Recipes: Chilled Canary Melon Soup, Melon Granita, Canary Melon Jam
Scientific name: Momordica charantia
Taste: Bitter
Though this melon hails from the Indian subcontinent, it’s grown all over Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Due to its bitterness, bitter melon is used like a vegetable more than a fruit. It’s beloved for its high antioxidant content and immunity-boosting qualities.
Recipes: Beef with Bitter Melon, Vietnamese Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Eggs, Bitter Melon with Black Bean Sauce
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. Inodorus ‘Crenshaw’
Taste: Floral, sweet
This hybrid of a Persian melon and Casaba melon boasts an extra sweet flavor and vegetal aroma. Its texture is tender and juicy, making it great to eat raw in fruit salads or with charcuterie meats. Crenshaw melons also make for delicious sorbet, frozen cocktails and smoothies.
Recipes: Crenshaw Melon, Prosciutto and Burrata, Shrimp Tacos with Melon-Pineapple Salsa, Mango Crenshaw Melon Juice
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. Inodorous ‘Sancho’
Taste: Sweet, mild, slightly earthy
In its homeland of Spain, the Santa Claus melon is also called “piel de sapo”, meaning “toad skin,” due to its dark green, stripy rind. Its other Christmas-inspired names are due to its long shelf life that makes it possible to enjoy the melon in late winter. Its flavor is similar to honeydew, but more refreshing and a bit earthier.
Recipes: Piel de Sapo Melon Sorbet, Santa Claus Melon Tart, Strawberry Melon Gazpacho
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis
Taste: Very sweet, spicy
This heirloom melon dates back to the 1800s. In line with its name, which means “pineapple” in French, it has juicy flesh that ranges from white to yellow in color. Its netted rind is similar to that of a cantaloupe.
Recipes: Melon Pineapple Fruit Salad with Berries, Pineapple Melon Smoothie
Scientific name: Cucumis melo
Taste: Very sweet, juicy, floral
If you come across one of these California-bred beauties at the farmers market, scoop one up while you can—their short shelf life makes them a rare find. It’s known for its smooth, green and yellow spotted rind and extremely sweet flavor. The Crane melon is the result of cross-farming Japanese, Persian and Ambrosia melons, among others.
Recipes: Fire and Ice Melon, Melon and Goat Cheese Salad with Agrodolce Dressing, Serrano Ham and Basil-Infused Melon
Scientific name: Cucumis melo ‘Ambrosia’
Taste: Very sweet, floral
Despite its appearance, this melon is much sweeter and more floral than the common cantaloupe. Its extra sweet flavor makes it the perfect pairing for salty cheeses and meats, like salami and capicola. You can also purée it for sauces, soups and drinks. It’s also delicious eaten raw in salads and desserts.
Recipes: Melon Ambrosia, Morro Bay Pacific Gold Oysters with Melons and Cucumber Water
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. Inodorus ‘Honey Globe’
Taste: Very sweet, soft, juicy
Much like Crane melon, the honey globe variety is tough to come by due to its short harvesting period. It’s one of the sweetest melons out there and has a thick white or white-and-green striped rind. Honey globes get their name from their round shape.
Recipes: Melon Mozzarella Salad with Basil, Summer Melon Couscous Salad with Avocado, Grapes and Mint, Melon Caprese Skewers
Scientific name: Cucumis melo
Taste: Very sweet, watery, tender
Autumn sweet melons get their name because they ripen between mid-summer and fall. This tiny melon is famous for its extra sweet taste, golden rind and white flesh. In Taiwan, it’s often candied or pickled to eat as an appetizer or added to soups. Its high liquid content makes it ideal for juices and smoothies.
Recipes: Mint Julep Melon Bites, Melon-Mint Smoothie, Cucumber Melon Salad
Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. Flexuosus
Taste: Crisp, juicy, mildly sweet
Botanically, it’s a melon. But by the looks (and taste) of it, it’s much closer to a standard cucumber. This long, slender fruit was cultivated in the 1400s and grown throughout Armenia, Egypt and other areas of Western Asia. It tastes refreshingly similar to a cucumber, but a bit sweeter.
Recipes: Moroccan Feggous Salad, Armenian Cucumber and Gherkin Pickles
Scientific name: Momordica cochinchinensis
Taste: Buttery, mild
On the outside, the gac melon is covered in orange-brown, spiky, dimpled skin. Cut it open and you’ll be wowed by its vibrant red hue. Grown mostly in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, the melon has a unique flavor, like a cross between cantaloupe and avocado. Due to its lack of sweetness and mellow taste, gac melons are often used in stews, soups, curries and rice dishes.
Recipes: Grilled Prawn with Gac Sauce, Pan-Fried Red Tilapia with Tomato and Gac Fruit Sauce
Scientific name: Melothria scabra
Taste: Refreshing, sour, mildly sweet
Aren’t they just the cutest? They look like tiny, grape-sized watermelons, but taste closer to cucumbers with a punch of acidity. Also known as Mexican sour gherkins, cucamelons are commonly pickled just like standard cucumbers. Their slight sweetness and tartness also make them a popular cocktail ingredient or garnish.
Recipes: Pickled Cucamelons, Ponzu-Marinated Cucamelons, Cucamelon, Grape and Tomato Summer Salad
RELATED: 30 Cantaloupe Recipes That Are Ripe for Melon Season
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