25 Varieties of Melons (with Pictures)

Melon is a delicious fruit packed with nutrition. The term “melon” diversed in many different plants belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. Containing niacin, vitamin A, B6, C, potassium and their high water content, make it an excellence diuretic. Many species of melons are found, but they belong to four genera: Momordica, Benincasa, Citrulus, and Cucumis. Melons are usually fresh consumed, or used in juice, desserts, fruit salads, or custards. Melons are also comes in varieties. Here are the lists of melon varieties:

1. Watermelon

It’s a vine-like, flowering plant. It has a thick green skin along with a yellow, red, or orange fleshy center. Watermelon has rich in water content. They can grow into maximum around 90 kg. It is one of the most popular types of melons.

2. Cantaloupe Melon

Cantaloupe is the most famous melon, especially in the US. Cantaloupe usually served as a fruit salad, a dessert with ice cream or custard. Its size ranges from 500 g to 5 kg.

3. Horned Melon

This melon has unique horned skin. The taste is tart-like, a combination between and zucchini and cucumber. It has lime-green flesh and yellow-orange skin.

4. Crenshaw Melon

Curcumismelo is their Latin family’s name. It’s a hybrid type of melon with a sweet, juicy orange flesh. It’s ovoid in shape and greenish-yellow skin. This variety is very popular.

5. Honeydew

It has sweet and juicy taste. Honeydew is popular well known fruit as a dessert ingredient. Its color is pale green and has a very smooth skin. The shape is round, sometimes oval, weighing from 1.5-4 kg.

6. Gac

This is the Southeast Asian primary fruit. Unfortunately, Gac has limited stock due to their short harvest season. Gac’s seeds are rich in flavor and usually cooked with rice in Vietnam. Gac also has high nutrients that are famous beyond Asia.

7. Bitter Melon

It’s called ”pare” in Indonesia. It is originated in Indian subcontinent. Bitter melon is vine grown in Carribbean, Africa and Asia. It has a very bitter taste, usually eaten as vegetable.

8. Winter Melon

This variety didn’t grow in Arctic continent. It originated in Southeast Asia. It has very large fruits. They can grow up to 85 cm long. Winter melon is cultivated in South and East part of Asia nowadays.

9. Sprite Melon

Japan is the birthplace of this variety. It contains seeds and has a round shape. Sprite melon is 25-35% sweeter than the other melons. It has ivory skin and color. Sprite Melon develops brown markings when ripe.

10. Korean Melon

It grows 10cm long and less than one kilogram. Korean melon is smaller than the other melons. It has white color flesh and unique flavor. The outer skin is yellow and white stripes along its length. It can be eaten at once.

11. Canary Melon

The skin is as bright as a canary bird. It is a huge and bright yellow melon. It has elongated shape with pale green or white flesh. The taste is prominently sweet. It’s a popular fruit for a snack or dessert.

12. Charentais Melon

This is fragrant type of cantaloupe. It was grown in  France in 1920. Now it’s produced in North Africa on a large scale. Charentais Melon has also being produced in the US, although it’s limited.

13. Bailan Melon

It’s grown near Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province. Bailan melon is very popular in China. It has similiarities in appearance with honeydew.

14. Hami Melon

Hami melon originated from Hami, Xinjiang. It has a crisp and very sweet flesh. The skin is white but usually yellow or greenish as well.

15. Santa Claus Melon

It has a thick and green-striped outer rind. It’s usually eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The taste is as sweet as cantaloupe. Ho, ho, ho, this variety is definitely suitable for your Christmas dinner.

16. Sky Rocket

The weight of this variety can go up to 3 kg. The shape of this melon is round, and the skin color is webbed green and yellow. The flesh of sky rocket melon is really sweet and fresh. The texture of this variety is chewy. Sky rocket melon need 65 days to be harvested.

17. Golden Langkawi Melon

Golden Langkawi Melon is a superior melon variety. This delicious fruit is originated from Langkawi, Malaysia. The characteristics of Golden Langkawi Melon are from their golden skin, smoother skin surfaces unlike the other melon variety that have webbed skin. The shape of golden Langkawi melon is a little bit elliptical. The flesh texture of Golden Langkawi Melon is crunchier, high in sugar rate and rich in water content. This melon variety can weigh up to 3 kg. Another useful thing from this melon variety is, their short period of harvest time. Golden Langkawi Melon can also be planted in many plantation media such as pollybag and plastic pot so this melon variety can save up the space on your field.

18. Apollo

Another delicious variety of melon is named Apollo. Apollo is a little bit similar with Golden Langkawi Melon but the difference can be distinguished from the skin surface. The skin on Apollo melon has webbed sketch and brighter color. The taste of this melon variety is also sweet, fresh, and fibreless texture. The water content inside Apollo melon is abundant. Therefore, this melon variety is also the most popular melon variety.

19. Honey Globe

This one is also categorized into superior quality melon. The characteristic of Honey Globe melon is round, the skin color is green, and webbed skin surface. Honey Globe Melon can weigh up to 4 kg. The flesh is thick, watery, and the taste is sweet due to the 17%-19% of natural sugar amount. The texture of this melon flesh is tender and chewable. Another advantage from this melon is their short period of plantation. The stem of Honey Globe melon is also strong enough to carry its fruit. However, this kind of melon needs a special treatment and preparation in order to get desired result.

20. Autumn Sweet

Another delicious melon variety is Autumn Sweet. Autumn Sweet melon is fully round in shape weigh up to 1,3 kg. The skin surfaces of Autumn Sweet melon is golden yellow and the flesh is white. The taste of this melon variety is sweet and the texture is watery yet tender.

21. Sky Rocket

This one is another popular variety of melon. The shape of Select Rocket melon is slightly similar with Sky Rocket. The seed of Select Rocket Melon is actually comes from Sky Rocket melon which is repackaged in New Zealand. Select Rocket melon is usually planted if Sky Rocket is unavailable at the markets. Although they are similar, some of the melon farmer said that Sky Rocket melon much more favorite rather than select rocket melon.

22. Jade Dew

Alright, here is another variety of delicious melon named Jade Dew. Jade Dew melon has round in shape and weighs up to 2 kg. The skin surface of Jade Dew is semi-webbed and the color is greenish white. The flesh of Jade Dew melon is milky yellow in color and the taste is sweet and the texture is crunchy. Another useful aspect from Jade Dew melon is, this melon variety is resistance to various viruses and plant diseases. Jade Dew melon usually planted on highland.

23. Golden Prize

The shape of Golden Prize Melon is slightly elliptical. The skin surface of this melon variety is rough and it has yellow in color. The flesh of Golden Prize melon is fresh orange and the taste is sweet. The texture of Golden Prize melon is crunchy and succulent. The skin of Golden Prize melon is relatively thick and due to the skin thickness, this melon variety can be kept in some period of time. Therefore, Golden Prize melon is the favorite fruit especially for the exporter.

24. Ten Me

This variety of melon is known as the most expensive and the highest quality among all of the melons. The weight of Ten Me melon can go up to 4 kg. The skin surface is white and yellow and smooth webbed skin. The flesh is thick, tender, fragrant and the taste is super duper sweet.

25. New Century

New Century melon shape is elliptical. The skin is yellow with thin web on it. The flesh is thick, orange colored, the taste is really sweet and the texture is crunchy. New Century melon is originated from Taiwan. This variety of melon is also resistance to viruses and plant diseases. The average weigh of this fruit is 1.5 kg and the maximum weight of this melon can go up to 4 kg. New Century melon is abundantly planted to sell on the modern markets or grand hotels.