Honeydew (melon)

Honeydew melon
Species	Cucumis melo
Cultivar group	Inodorus group
Origin	France

Melons, honeydew, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	150 kJ (36 kcal)
Carbohydrates	9.09 g
Sugars	8.12 g
Dietary fiber	0.8 g
Fat	0.14 g
Protein	0.54 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Thiamine (B1) 3% 0.038 mg Riboflavin (B2) 1% 0.012 mg Niacin (B3) 3% 0.418 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) 3% 0.155 mg Vitamin B6 5% 0.088 mg Folate (B9) 5% 19 μg Vitamin C 20% 18 mg Vitamin K 2% 2.9 μg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 0% 6 mg Iron 1% 0.17 mg Magnesium 2% 10 mg Manganese 1% 0.027 mg Phosphorus 1% 11 mg Potassium 8% 228 mg Sodium 1% 18 mg Zinc 1% 0.09 mg
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

A honeydew melon, also known as a honeymelon, is the fruit of one cultivar group of the muskmelon, Cucumis melo in the gourd family. The Inodorus group includes honeydew, crenshaw, casaba, winter, and other mixed melons.

Characteristics

A honeydew has a round to slightly oval shape, typically 15–22 cm (5.9–8.7 in) long. It generally ranges in weight from 1.8 to 3.6 kg (4.0 to 7.9 lb). The flesh is usually pale green in color, while the smooth peel ranges from greenish to yellow. Like most fruit, honeydew has seeds. The inner flesh is eaten, often for dessert, and honeydew is commonly found in supermarkets across the world alongside cantaloupe melons and watermelons. In California, honeydew is in season from August until October.

This fruit grows best in semiarid climates and is harvested based on maturity, not size. Maturity can be hard to judge, but it is based upon the ground color ranging from greenish white (immature) to creamy yellow (mature). Quality is also determined by the honeydew having a nearly spherical shape with a surface free of scars or defects. A honeydew should also feel heavy for its size and have a waxy rather than a fuzzy surface.

Origin and alternate names

The leaf of a honeydew

"Honeydew" is in fact the American name for the White Antibes cultivar which has been grown for many years in southern France and Algeria.

In China, honeydews are known as Bailan melons. They are famous locally near Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province in China's northwest.

According to Chinese sources, the melons were introduced to China by American horticulturalist Henry A. Wallace, who donated melon seeds to the locals while visiting in the 1940s (probably 1944). Wallace, who served as Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, and Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt, had founded a major seed company (Pioneer Hi-Bred). He also had a general background and interest in agriculture. As a result, in China the melon is sometimes called the Wallace (Chinese: 华莱士; pinyin: Hualaishi). The Mizo people use the name Hmazil and the "Garo people" and the "Chakma people" of Chittagong Hill Tracts use the name "Chindire" and "Tanchangya" people called "Chinal" as a local language of Asia called it as Te'e in their local language.

In some parts of Latin America, especially in Chile, the honeydew is nicknamed "Melón tuna" ("tuna melon").

See also

• List of culinary fruits
• Winter melon – A gourd originating in Southeast Asia that is used in Indian and Chinese cuisine. The winter melon variety of honeydew should not be confused with this plant
• Santa Claus melon – A close relative with a similar-tasting fruit