See also: Article on Melons; individual melon entries
MELONS
Many melons originated in the Middle East and gradually spread its popularity across Europe. Ancient Egyptians and Romans enjoyed cantaloupes or muskmelons. Melon seeds were transported to the United States by Columbus and eventually cultivated by Spanish explorers in California.
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One of the earliest records of melons is in an Egyptian tomb painting from 2400 B.C.
Christopher Columbus probably took the first melon seeds to the New World in 1494 (Haiti).
The cantaloupe was supposedly named for Cantalou, a former Papal garden near Rome, where the variety was developed.
Alexandre Dumas loved melons so much, he offered to the city council of Cavaillon all of his published works and future publications in exchange for "a life annuity of twelve melons per year."
Most people don’t know that melons are in the same gourd family as squashes and cucumbers. Most melons have similar structure to winter squash with thick flesh and inner seed-filled midsection. So what’s the difference between melons and squashes? It’s the way that they’re used. Squashes are considered vegetables, while melons are known as fruits with sweet and juicy flavor.
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