CANTALOUPE

Dehydrated - Sweetened Tropical Fruit
	CANTALOUPE Name in Spanish: Melón en trozos Name in latin: Cucumis melo zoom

ASPECT AND DESCRIPCION It is original from Middle East. Usual name given to the numerous varieties of the Cucurbitaceous family, that belongs to two climbing plants. One of them forms true cantaloupe, in their written, gold yellow, tendal of winter, catapult, and toad skin varieties among others, the other kind of cantaloupe is formed by watermelon. The cantaloupe called "written" has a characteristic reticulated skin, a salmon color pulp and a musk fragrance. It is one of the most perishable varieties. The gold yellow and tendal varieties have strong skin, length ways grooved, of intensive yellow or green color and sweet pulp of white green color. The winter or later cantaloupes, which have several types, are less aromatic and take a long time to mature, they compose a strong bark, which protects them well after the growth station. There are varieties of smooth bark and green pulp, dark bark and orange pulp, yellow rough bark and green or white pulp, and dark green rough bark and pink pulp. The toad skin variety has a light green skin, with dark green dots. The bark is strong and scratched. The juicy and sweetened pulp is white yellow coloured. For their special qualities and traditional technologies used during its cultivation., the Velliconejos cantaloupes are famous, and they are considered as the first grade quality cantaloupes in the Spain market. In the South of Madrid Community 1600 ha. Of toad skin variety are cultivated. The cantaloupe is highly cultivated in Europe, the name belongs to Cantalupo neighborhood, near Rome, where seems that this variety was introduced from Armenia. The fruit has strong bark, scaly and marked by deep grooves, without the characteristic reticule of written cantaloupes. The Haogen cantaloupes, are called so because of the Israeli kibbutz where they were bound. They are small, with orange and green lines bark, and light orange pulp. The watermelons are very variable regarding to form, size and bark dots, since spherical to oblong, from 1 to 20 kg. With dark green or light green lines bark, The pulp is usually red, very sweet and crunchy, with a characteristic form and a great quantity of water. Among the water melon varieties can be pointed out the following: queen, Fabiola, sugar baby and panomia.
HISTORY Its name belongs to the Greek name "melón" that means something like " manzana grande" . In the tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs, 2400 years before C. paints of cantaloupes can be found. Galeno, a famous Greek doctor described the medical properties of this fruit. The Roman books from III Century teach how to cultivate cantaloupe, and this cultivation disappears together with the fall of this Empire. In the III Century this cultivation resurged in Andalucía with the Moros and in XIV Century it was introduced in France.
CULINARY USE This fruit can be consumed as a sweetened fruit and it is very flavorful combined with semi hard or hard cheeses. It can also be used with a chocolate coating and composing fruit dices in puddings and sweet breads. If it is boiled together with other fruits of the same class can be obtained delicious compote. Small pieces of this fruit can be added to ice creams, cake fillings and exotic foods, accompanying various meats while they are cooked in casseroles and they have juice during the cooking.