Cantaloupe

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Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe (also "cantaloup") refers to two different varieties of muskmelon, Cucumis melo.cantaloupe at m-w.com Both belong to the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes nearly all melons and squashes. They are typically 15–25 cm in length and are somewhat oblong, though not as oblong as watermelons. Like all melons, cantaloupes grow best in sandy, well-aerated, well-watered soil that is free of encroaching weeds.

The European cantaloupe is Cucumis melo cantalupensis. Its lightly-ribbed, pale green skin looks quite different from the North American cantaloupe. In Australia and New Zealand, it is also called rockmelon due to the rock-like appearance of the skin of the fruit. It is called a spanspek in South Africa, where it is harvested during the summer months October through February.

The North American cantaloupe, common in the United States and in some parts of Canada, is Cucumis melo reticulatus (or sometimes C. melo melo var. cantalupensis), a different member of the same muskmelon species. It is named reticulatus due to its net-like (or reticulated) skin covering. It is a round melon with firm, orange, moderately-sweet flesh and a thin reticulated light-brown rind. Varieties with redder and yellower flesh exist but are not common, and they are not considered as flavorful as the more common variety.

Origin

The cantaloupe was named after the commune Cantalupo in Sabina, in the Sabine Hills near Tivoli, Italy, a summer residence of the Pope. It was originally cultivated about the year 1700 from seeds brought from Armenia, part of the homeland of melons.

The most widely enjoyed variety of European cantaloupe is the Charentais, cultivated almost exclusively in France. Pope Innocent XIII(1721-1724) is said to have enjoyed sipping Port wine from a partially hollowed melon half as an apéritif.

The North American cantaloupe is a variety of muskmelon that Christopher Columbus is believed to have brought with him on his second voyage to the New World in 1494. It was developed by the W. Atlee Burpee Company and introduced in 1881 as the "Netted Gem".

Production and use

For commercial plantings, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends at least one hive of honeybees per acre (4,000 m² per hive) for pollination. Good pollination is important, not only for the number of fruits produced, but also for the sugar content of these fruits.

Cantaloupes don't ripen after they're picked so they must be picked ripe. A ripe one will have a musky sweet smell at the stem end of the melon. An odorless one is likely to be tasteless, too.

Cantaloupe is normally eaten as a fresh fruit, as a salad, or as a dessert with ice-cream or custard. Melon pieces wrapped in prosciutto are a familiar modern antipasto.

In July 2006, the Dusenbery family of Houma, Louisiana cross-pollinated a cantaloupe with a cucumber to produce a "cuculoupe".

Food chemistry

Cantaloupe are a source of polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals which are known to provide certain health benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system. These chemicals are known to up regulate the formation of nitric oxide, a key chemical in promoting health of the endothelium and prevention of heart attacks.

Heraldry

The European cantaloupe has been used as a charge in heraldry.

References

Footnotes

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