Cantaloupe

The name cantaloupe was derived in the 18th century via French cantaloup from The Cantus Region of Italian Cantalupo, which was formerly a papal county seat near Rome, after the fruit was introduced there from Armenia.^[3] It was first mentioned in English literature in 1739.^[2] The cantaloupe most likely originated in a region from South Asia to Africa.^[2] It was later introduced to Europe, and around 1890, became a commercial crop in the United States.^[2]

Melon derived from use in Old French as meloun during the 13th century, and from Medieval Latin melonem, a kind of pumpkin.^[4] It was among the first plants to be domesticated and cultivated.^[4]

The South African English name spanspek dates back at least as far as 18th-century Dutch Suriname: J. van Donselaar wrote in 1770, "Spaansch-spek is the name for the form that grows in Suriname which, because of its thick skin and little flesh, is less consumed."^[5] A common etymology involves the Spanish-born Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, who ate canteloupe for breakfast while her husband and 19th-century governor of Cape Colony, Sir Harry Smith, ate bacon and eggs; the fruit was termed Spanish bacon (Afrikaans Spaanse spek) by locals as a result.^[6][7] However, the term had been in use well before that point.

Cantaloupe, raw

Cantaloupe in cross-section
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	141 kJ (34 kcal)
Carbohydrates	8.16 g
Sugars	7.86 g
Dietary fiber	0.9 g
Fat	0.18 g
Protein	0.82 g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Vitamin A equiv. beta-Carotene lutein zeaxanthin	26% 232 μg 26% 2780 μg 32 μg
Thiamine (B1)	4% 0.049 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	2% 0.027 mg
Niacin (B3)	4% 0.694 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	2% 0.085 mg
Vitamin B6	2% 0.04 mg
Folate (B9)	4% 14 μg
Vitamin C	12% 10.9 mg
Vitamin K	2% 2.7 μg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	1% 9 mg
Iron	2% 0.38 mg
Magnesium	3% 13 mg
Manganese	2% 0.046 mg
Phosphorus	1% 17 mg
Potassium	5% 157 mg
Sodium	1% 30 mg
Zinc	4% 0.44 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	90.2 g
Full Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[8] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[9]

The European cantaloupe or true cantaloupe, C. melo var. cantalupensis, is lightly ribbed with a sweet and flavorful flesh and a gray-green skin that looks quite different from that of the North American cantaloupe.^[2]

The North American cantaloupe or muskmelon, C. melo var. reticulatus, common in the United States, Mexico, and some parts of Canada, is a different variety of C. melo, a melon with a reticulated ("net-like") peel.^[2] It is a round melon with firm, orange, moderately sweet flesh.

In 2016, global production of melons, including cantaloupes, totaled 31.2 million tons, with China accounting for 51% of the world total (15.9 million tons).^[10] Other significant countries growing cantaloupe were Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and India producing 1 to 1.9 million tons, respectively.^[10]

California grows 75% of the cantaloupes in the US.^[11]

Culinary

Cantaloupe is normally eaten as a fresh fruit, as a salad, or as a dessert with ice cream or custard. Melon pieces wrapped in prosciutto are a familiar antipasto. The seeds are edible and may be dried for use as a snack.

Because the surface of a cantaloupe can contain harmful bacteria—in particular, Salmonella^[12]—it is recommended that a melon be washed and scrubbed thoroughly before cutting and consumption to prevent risk of Salmonella or other bacterial pathogens.^[13]

A moldy cantaloupe in a Peoria, Illinois, market in 1943 was found to contain the highest yielding strain of mold for penicillin production, after a worldwide search.^[14][15]

Nutrition

Raw cantaloupe is 90% water, 8% carbohydrates, 0.8% protein and 0.2% fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), raw cantaloupe supplies 140 kJ (34 kcal) of food energy, and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A (29% DV) and a moderate source of vitamin C (13% DV). Other micronutrients are in negligible amounts (less than 10% DV) (table).

• Melon

• Media related to Cucumis melo cantaloupe group at Wikimedia Commons
• Sorting Cucumis names– Multilingual multiscript plant name database