Melon de Guadeloupe is a yellow melon of the Charentais variety, grown on the French island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. It is sold fresh, firm and whole, and must weigh at least 450 grams. Its rind is greenish or yellow on the exterior, while on the interior there is a very sweet, tender, orange flesh with a wide variety of aromas and flavors, the musky one being the most loved.
The flesh is known to keep exceptionally well, due to the favorable clay soil and climatic conditions. However, it cannot be consumed just any day of the year since it is a seasonal product, harvested from November to June. Use it in chutneys, fruit salads, in cocktails or pair it with fresh scallops or dried ham.
Melon du Quercy is an orange-fleshed melon with a green to yellow peel, produced in the French regions of Tarn et Garonne and Lot since the 18th century. When fully ripe, the melons are harvested, checked, sorted and graded. Due to the soil that is made of lime and clay and regulates the plant's intake of minerals, Melon du Quercy has its typical scent and unique properties.
Its taste is sweet with notes of honey, and the flesh is very juicy, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture. A great summer fruit, it is low in calories and high in vitamin content, and usually eaten sliced and fresh, or paired with cured meat and port wine.
Piel de sapo or Santa Claus melon is a Spanish melon that's widely grown in La Mancha and Murcia. These melons are pale green to white, with a succulent texture and a slightly sweet flavor. The skin on the exterior is wrinkled, which is typical for a Santa Claus melon.
They're in season during late spring and summer. When fully ripe, they will have a vibrant yellow hue and a soft apex (blossom end). The brighter yellow the skin and the softer the apex, the riper and sweeter they are. The name piel de sapo means toad skin, referring to the unique coloring of the rind.
The Santa Maria melon is a variety of cantaloupe produced on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores archipelago. The melon is oval in shape and has a heavily crosshatched, greenish-yellow rind. The pulp is generally orange and soft in texture, and it is juicy and quite sweet when fully ripe.
This particular variety of melon grown in Santa Maria is exceptionally aromatic, and the balance between its soft texture, sweetness, and flavor distinguishes it from other melons. These characteristics are due to the climate of the island of Santa Maria.
Yubari King are expensive Japanese melons grown in Yubari on Hokkaido. They are highly prized for their renowned sweetness. The top grade of these melons are perfectly round with a perfectly smooth skin. Their flesh is orange on the inside, and it is regularly graded – there are 4 grades depending on the sweetness, and some melons can even be rejected if they are too sweet or not sweet enough.
It is recommended to consume them within 2 to 3 days of harvesting, which is done by hand with scissors. The melons are traditionally grown in volcanic ash soil in greenhouses, and the planting is done in February. Interestingly, in 2017, a pair of these melons was sold at an auction for $27,000.
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