In this country, melons are usually only grown privately, as they actually prefer warmer areas as growing areas. Basically, melons have found their way to almost all countries in the world over the last millennia.
Where does the melon come from?
Melons originally come from Africa and belong to the pumpkin family. The original form of the various types of melon is the Tsamma melon from West and Central Africa. Today, melons are distributed worldwide, including southern France, Canary Islands, Spain, Hungary, Italy and Turkey.
The botanical classification of melons
Botanically, all types of melons belong to the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae). However, the plants can be distinguished from pumpkin plants at first glance because their leaves are usually slightly pinnate and less regularly heart-shaped. Since all parts of the plant die off completely after the fruit ripens in pumpkins and melons and the plant grows completely new from seeds in the next season, strictly speaking it is a vegetable and not a fruit.
The origin of the different types of melons
Most botanists believe that all types of melons originated in Africa. The Tsamma melon, which is still found as a wild plant in West and Central Africa, is considered to be the original form of the various varieties of watermelon. However, this type of melon used to be taken on ships as a long-lasting food not because of the rather bitter-tasting pulp, but because of the many seeds as a basis for flour and oil. This also laid the foundation for today's distribution, as melons found new areas of distribution in overseas areas in addition to the early cultural areas in ancient Egypt and Persia. Sugar melons such as the Charentais melon and the honeydew melon are now also widespread in tropical areas of Australia, Asia and South America, but their ancestry probably also goes back to melon shapes from Africa.
Today's melon growing areas
Most types of melon can now be sold all year round because they ripen at different times in different growing regions around the world. However, due to their high weight, watermelons of the heavy Crimson Sweet varieties are usually only available in this country during the season from May to September from the following European growing regions:
- Spain
- Hungary
- Italy
- Türkiye
Sugar melons such as the Charentais melon are widespread in the south of France, the honeydew melon is sometimes also referred to as the yellow canary due to its extensive cultivation in the Canary Islands.
Tips & Tricks
Since the imported fruits often have to be harvested early due to their long transport route, you should check their ripeness by the sound and color of the peel.
