Quick. What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say melons? For me it was watermelon, but I've come to find out that technically it's not a melon at all. Before I go down this hole, first let me have the disclaimer that I am not a botanist and the only botany I have ever studied was paleobotany and most of those plants were extinct.
Watermelon is a melon in practical terms. But biologically speaking, it's not. Melons are in the a different genus from melons but are cousins so to speak as they are in the same order/family? Getting a little mixed up on my taxonomy here.
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| Yellow watermelon grown by Uncle Billy. |
So here's what I might have talked about.
M is for melons.
Watermelon, botanically, is not a melon.
Confusion abounds among the terms of fruit, vegetable, melon, gourd, berry, etc.Frozen watermelon to use in drinks
or just a cool snack.
Explorers used watermelon as canteens.
Wally, who will eat almost anything does not like cantaloupe, a true melon. I love it.
Watermelons originated in Africa.
Hieroglyphics depict watermelon harvest.
Times up. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.
I'm with Wally. Cantaloupe (we call it musk melon but now you have me wondering if that's a different thing altogether) has an odd taste and while I can eat it, I don't really enjoy it. I like honey dew melons, though. I didn't realize that watermelon isn't a true melon but I have noticed that the flesh isn't similar to other melons.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, all cantaloupe are musk melons, but not all musk melons are cantaloupe. I had no idea that there was so much confusion of nomenclature in the fruit and vegetable world until I started these posts.
DeleteSorry you didn't get to finish up your post the way you would have liked to, but it's a post so it counts for the challenge. Problem is, now I'm craving watermelon and it's still going to be months before it's in season again!
ReplyDeleteWe have about three months here before we can get locally ripe watermelon. One of the joys of summer.
DeleteToday, I bought both a watermelon (individual sized) and a cantaloupe. The cantaloupe was bigger than the watermelon! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know that they had individually sized watermelons. So many choices in the markets today.
DeleteHoney dew melon my favourite, but I do like the idea of water melon frozen to add to drinks - sounds lovely and refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a honeydew melon right off the vine, so I have always found them rather tasteless. However, I've read that they are very sweet. I am going to try to taste a better one this summer because I think I'm missing something.
DeleteWatermelon is required eating for most Aussies over our Christmas (summer). Chilled from the fridge it’s very refreshing. Sadly I can’t eat it anymore though I can eat rockmelon/cantaloupe...go figure.
ReplyDeletehttps://cassmobfamilyhistory.com/2021/04/15/marshmellows-mangoes-and-memorable-meals/