On Food and Cooking

Except for the watermelon, melons are fruits
of Cucumis melo, a close relative of the
cucumber (C. sativus) and a native of the
semiarid subtropics of Asia. The melon plant
was domesticated in central Asia or India and
arrived in the Mediterranean at the beginning
of the 1st century CE, where their large size
and rapid growth made them a common
symbol of fertility, abundance, and luxury.
There are many melon varieties with
distinctive rinds, flesh colors (orange types
are an excellent source of beta-carotene),
textures, aromas, sizes, and keeping qualities.
Melons are generally used fresh, either
sliced or pureed. They contain a protein-
digesting enzyme, cucumisin, and thus will
prevent gelatin gels from setting unless the
enzyme is denatured by cooking or an excess
of gelatin is used. The melon surface can
become contaminated with microbes in the
field and cause food poisoning when the
microbes are introduced into the flesh during