We’ve all been there: you’re looking for something on the internet to grow a plant and the first thing you do is use the Google search engine. Helpful, but only if you know what to look for. In my experience, there is very limited information available in Switzerland about growing melons. Even less information can be found about the different types of melons on German-language sites. Therefore, in this article I would like to provide a brief summary of the extensive classification of melons.
Melons, more correctly known as sugar melons (botanical name: Cucumis melo L.), are a plant species belonging to the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae), which includes other vegetable species such as edible and ornamental pumpkins, watermelons, zucchinis and cucumbers.
The melon most probably originated in subtropical West Africa, although wild forms can still be found in Central Asia, India and also East and West Africa. However, these hardly resemble the sugar melons we know today; they are significantly smaller, rich in seeds and have hardly any flesh. The wild forms of sugar melons are also poisonous! The bitter substance cucurbitacin, which is also found in ornamental pumpkins, makes the wild melons inedible. An extremely important note on this subject; if you plant sugar melons or other plants from pumpkin family together in the same place, it is quite possible that a backcrossing to the original form may occur. If you decide to obtain seeds from these plants for the next growing season, they may be genetically capable of producing plants with cucurbitacin in their flesh. If you want to be on the safe side, you should therefore plant cucurbits in separate locations if possible, or use new seeds every year.
Sugar melons (Cucumis melo L.) and watermelons (Cucumis Citrullus lanatus) have been cultivated for thousands of years. Many ancient paintings and writings from Asia prove this, but such traditions can also be found in Greece and Italy. The oldest known finds date back to 7000 BC and were found in China, Thailand and India. With Columbus, the melon also found its way to America and has enjoyed great popularity in the New World ever since. However, the original domestication centers such as Africa, China, India, Iran and Afghanistan, with their great diversity of melon varieties, continue to be the most important gene pools for further breeding.
Melons are the current record holders when it comes to which vegetable has the most varieties, with more than 800 described species (as of 2007) they top the list. The classification of melons into different groups is correspondingly complex and differs according to language and growing region. Today, melons are often classified according to their appearance. As early as 1859, the French botanist Charles Naudin compiled an essay, which is the groundwork for many of today’s “melon groups” and their definitions. This makes the list below one of the most detailed botanical classifications of the sugar melon. It is mainly divided into growth forms, the surface texture of the fruit, the shape of the fruit, its taste and also the region of origin.
- conomon Makino
- makuwa Thunberg
- chinensis Pangalo
- momordica Duthie & Fuller
- acidulus Naudin
- tibish Mohamed
- chate Hasselquist
- flexuosus Naudin
- cantalupensis Naudin
- reticulatus Séringe
- ameri Gabaev
- indorus Jacquin
- dudaim Naudin
In order not to go beyond the scope of this article, I will avoid giving an exact description of each group at this point. But I will say this much: not all groups of melons are like the ones we are used to. Many of the melons in the individual groups have a rather neutral taste or are reminiscent of zucchinis and pumpkins. Such neutral-tasting melons can be found, for example, in the “conomon Makino” group, which are a daily companion in Asian cuisine and are often used raw in salads. Others are shaped more like a cucumber (snake melons) and are anything but round or oval like the sugar melons we are familiar with.
I find it particularly astonishing that some melon groups and their varieties (cultivars) are still only cultivated in their region of origin and are unknown in large parts of the world, despite strong global trade. In Switzerland, for example, only a few European varieties are well known, such as “Charentais” or “Piel de sapo”.
To be honest, the whole thing is also quite confusing, with so many foreign-sounding names and definitions. As a guide, you can simplify this by thinking of all the groups mentioned above as “sugar melons”. In other words, there are 13 variety groups of sugar melons, such as the “cantalupensis Naudin” group, which in turn can be divided into countless varieties, such as the world-famous “Charentais”. These in turn can now be divided into different breeding lines, such as those from North America, others from France and Italy or West Asia.
However, this is only one approach to many different classifications of sugar melons. The classification of sugar melons within Europe, but also in Swiss stores, is usually based on three groups. The origin of this definition lies in the consideration of the economically most valuable melon varieties for the European economic area. Accordingly, this European nomenclature is one-sided from the perspective of the melon world. The following three groups are distinguished:
- Chantalupe melon
- Net melon
- Winter melon or fuzzy melon
The Chantalupe melon group consists of three types (Charentais, netted Charentais, Ogen), all of which have a dark green furrow in the skin as a unique feature. Charentais melons have orange, very aromatic flesh and a yellowish skin when fully ripe. The netted Charentais type is a hybrid between the Chantalupe and the netted melon and therefore has a net-like surface structure in addition to green furrows. They also have a thick skin and are therefore well suited for transportation and storage. However, the orange fleshy melons are often less aromatic than the Charentais type. Chantalupe melons of the Ogen type have a smooth, green speckled or yellow-orange skin with a clear green furrow. In contrast to the two other types in this melon group, the Ogen type has a greenish to light orange, very sweet flesh.
Netted melons can also be divided into three types. The Western Shipping and Eastern Shipping varieties, both originating from North America, and the Galia type. The unique feature of this melon group is the typical rough net-like surface structure. Melons of the Western Shipping type differ from melons of the Eastern Shipping type primarily in their very thick and firm skin, as well as their round shape. Eastern Shipping melons, on the other hand, are only produced for the local market and have an elongated to oval shape with a thinner skin and significantly better flavor. The Galia type includes varieties with mostly green flesh and orange-yellow skin.
The group of winter melons describes melons with round to mostly oval fruit shapes, with smooth or partially wrinkled skin. The fruits ripen late and do not exude any fragrance, but usually have a greenish-white, very sugary-sweet flesh.
Today, Swiss consumers are only familiar with a fraction of the existing melon groups and only have access to a limited number of varieties. In the global trade, there are mainly varieties from the “cantalupensis Naudin” and “indorus Jacquin” groups, as these are by far the sweetest and best varieties in the world. I strive to create diversity not only in the field but also in my range. I would be delighted if we could go on a culinary world tour together and explore the diversity of sugar melons. With this in mind, stay curious!