MELON MADNESS! Vine growing fruit, melons are members of the Cucurbitaceous family, with their next closest relatives being squashes and cucumbers. Ancient Egyptians have been cultivating melons 2000 years BC, and were introduced to America by the Spanish settlers during the 15th and 16th century. There are numerous varieties of melons that differ in size, color and sweetness of their fruit. CLASSROOM DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY Melon Match Up Match the melon name and description with its picture. A B C D E 1. Gac Melon 2. 3. Horned Melon 4. Canary 5. Cantaloupe Gac is primarily a The most popular Watermelon It gets its name from Melon Southeast Asian melon in the United Containing 92% the horn-like spikes Named after the fruit. It is not very States, this melon water, the and has a texture that bright yellow abundant as it has a was first cultivated watermelon is is very similar to that of color of the short harvet season. in the 1700’s in the appropriately a cucumber. The taste canary bird, the The seeds of the fruit Italian village of names. The is tart-like, and often canary melon has are rich in flavor and Cantalup. largest recorded described as a a prominent are cooked with rice Cantaloupe is a rich watermelon combination of sweet flavor and in Vietnam. Its juice source for dietary weighed 262 cucumber and zucchini. tastes like is becoming popular fiber, vitamin A, pounds. cantaloupe. out side of Asia, as it vitamin C, iron, is very high in phosphorus and nutrients. 1. _____ 2.______ 3.______ 4.______ 5.______ potassium. Joke: Why did the melon jump into the lake? Because it wanted to be a watermelon. January 2018 3 Cantaloupe 4 Royal Melon The Royal Melon is Chunks Cucumber Slices very similar to cantaloupe because of it’s golden tan exterior Galia Melon 10 11 and sweet vivid 9 salmon-orange flesh. Honeydew Zucchini/Yellow Cara Cara Slices One difference from a The Galia Melon is a Chunks Squash Coins cantaloupe is the Royal hybrid between Melons smaller interior cantaloupe and seed cavity. 17 honeydew melon. 16 18 Galia Melon The Royal Melon is It has a yellow to Grape Tomatoes Sugar Snap Peas bred to be higher in orange skin color Chunks nutrients than the that is covered in a traditional cantaloupe light golden-tan 23 24 25 melon, and is an netting. Its flesh, excellent source of potassium, carotene, the part we eat, is Blood Orange Royal Melon Green Pepper and Vitamins A and C. pale green with a Slices Chunks Sticks succulent texture that has a signature spicy sweet flavor 30 31 with tropical Canary Melon aromatics. Clementines Chunks Melon Match Up Answers: Melon Up 2. Match 1. E, 3. 4. B, D, 5. Answers: C, A.