Honeydew (melon)

Honeydew melon Species Cucumis melo Cultivar group Inodorus group Origin France Melons, honeydew, raw Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 150 kJ (36 kcal) Carbohydrates 9.09 g Sugars 8.12 g Dietary fiber 0.8 g Fat 0.14 g Protein 0.54 g Vitamins Thiamine (B1) (3%) 0.038 mg Riboflavin (B2) (1%) 0.012 mg Niacin (B3) (3%) 0.418 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) (3%) 0.155 mg Vitamin B6 (7%) 0.088 mg Folate (B9) (5%) 19 μg Vitamin C (22%) 18 mg Vitamin K (3%) 2.9 μg Minerals Calcium (1%) 6 mg Iron (1%) 0.17 mg Magnesium (3%) 10 mg Manganese (1%) 0.027 mg Phosphorus (2%) 11 mg Potassium (5%) 228 mg Sodium (1%) 18 mg Zinc (1%) 0.09 mg Link to USDA Database entry Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Honeydew, also known as honeymelon, is a cultivar group of the muskmelon, Cucumis melo Inodorus group, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, winter, and other mixed melons.

Characteristics

A honeydew has a round to slightly oval shape, typically 15–22 cm (5.9–8.7 in) long. It generally ranges in weight from 1.8 to 3.6 kg (4.0 to 7.9 lb). The flesh is usually pale green in color, while the smooth peel ranges from greenish to yellow. Like most fruit, honeydew has seeds. Honeydew's flesh is often eaten for dessert, and is commonly found in supermarkets across the world. This fruit grows best in semiarid climates and is harvested based on maturity, not size. Maturity can be hard to judge, but is based upon ground color ranging from greenish white (immature) to creamy yellow (mature).^[1] Quality is also determined by the honeydew having a nearly spherical shape with a surface free of scars or defects. Also, a honeydew should feel heavy for its size and have a waxy (not fuzzy) surface.

In California, the honeydew is in season from August until October.^[2]

Origin and alternate names

The leaf of a honeydew

"Honeydew" is in fact the American name for the White Antibes cultivar which has been grown for many years in southern France and Algeria.^[3][4]

In China, honeydews are known as the Bailan melon; they are a locally famous product near Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province in China's northwest.

According to Chinese sources, the melons were introduced to China by a Mr. Wallace, who donated melon seeds to the locals while visiting in the 1940s (probably 1944).^[5] Henry A. Wallace, Vice President of the United States under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, had founded a major seed company (Pioneer Hi-Bred) and otherwise had a general background and interest in agricultural pursuits. As a result, in China the melon is sometimes called the Wallace (Chinese: 华莱士; pinyin: Hualaishi).^[6] The Mizo name for this fruit is Hmazil.

See also

• Winter melon – The winter melon variety of honeydew melon should not be confused with the winter melon, a gourd originating in Southeast Asia that is used in Indian and Chinese cuisine.
• Piel de Sapo

References