Melon Cucumis melo Melons are a branch of the squash family and are thought to have originated in southern Africa. The greater family group includes cucumber, musk melon, casaba, winter melon, marrows, pumpkins and gourds. Taken into India in prehistoric times, the melon became a valuable and popular fruit, finding its way into Egypt by about 4,000BC. Proper cultivation was instituted by the Arabs in the 12th century. Introduced into the Court of Charles VIII of France from Italy and didn’t reach England until the 16th century, when they were grown under glass quite successfully. The French writer, Alexander Dumas, author of the Three Musketeers, was so fond of the melons from Cavaillon that he swapped a complete set of his works for a lifetime’s supply of them. There are five main groups: Water melon - Citrullus vulgaris. Native of Africa and from a different species to other melons. Water melons contain lycopenes, also found in tomatoes, red grapefruit and apricots, powerful antioxidants which protect against cell damage. Melon - Cucumis melo. A variety of shapes and colours with sweet flesh, which include such varieties as Honeydew, Ogen (named for the kibbutz in Israel where it was first grown), Charentais and Cavaillon. Cantaloupe - Cucuma melo var. cantalupensis. Raised in the Papal villa of Cantaluppi near Rome in the fifteenth century, with a warty skin and fragrant orange flesh. Musk or Netted Melon - Cucuma melo var. reticulatus. Round hothouse melons with a raised network pattern on the skin and aromatic flesh. Cooking Melons - Used in the same way as vegetable gourds in Asian and Oriental cooking these include the Indian Kakri, and Chekiang melon, used throughout Southeast Asia. The most useful melon, nutritionally, is generally agreed to be the cantaloupe. Its deep orange flesh is packed with beta-carotene, the vegetable pre-cursor of vitamin A, with just half a melon providing more than the recommended daily intake for the average adult. It is a potent anti-oxidant that protects against cancer and the formation of the free radicals that cause cataracts. It is also believed that it helps to protect against infection, that it fights ‘bad’, or LDL cholesterol, and, that by preventing cell damage, it may be a useful weapon in the battle against the ageing process. It is also high in vitamin C, the same half-melon providing more than double the recommended daily intake for an adult non-smoker. It is also a good source of potassium, which helps to regulate body water balance and normalise heart function, guarding against high blood pressure and irregular heart action. It is also a good source of fibre which helps to regulate bowel action and may help to guard against colon and rectal cancers. The lighter green and pale yellow flesh melons contain little beta-carotene and less vitamin C, but they are low in calories and their high water content may help the kidneys to work more effectively, flushing the system.