Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe
European cantaloupe (true cantaloupe)
GenusCucumis
SpeciesC. melo
SubspeciesC. melo subsp. melo
Cultivar groupCantalupensis Group
(incorporating Reticulatus Group)
American Western cantaloupe (muskmelon)

The cantaloupe (also spelled cantaloup and cantelope; /ˈkæn.tə.loʊp/, KAN-tə-lohp or /ˈkæn.tə.luːp/, KAN-tə-loop) is a type of true melon (Cucumis melo) with sweet, aromatic, and usually orange flesh. Originally, cantaloup referred to the true cantaloupe or European cantaloupe with non- to slightly netted and often ribbed rind. Today, it also refers to the muskmelon with strongly netted rind, which is called cantaloupe in North America (hence the name American cantaloupe), rockmelon in Australia and New Zealand, and spanspek in Southern Africa. Cantaloupes range in mass from 0.5 to 5 kilograms (1 to 11 lb).

Etymology

The name cantaloupe derived from the French and Italian languages in relation to Cantalupo, the name of a summer estate of the Vatican City, where these melons were first grown in the 18th century. The name was first used in English in 1739.

History

The cantaloupe may have originated in a region from South Asia to Africa, although its exact origin is unknown. According to one source, "cantaloupes were cultivated in Egypt and migrated across to Iran and Northwest India dating as far back to Biblical times, about 2400 BC."

Types

The true or European cantaloupe (Cantalupensis group), which has non- to slightly netted rind and orange flesh, includes the following types:

The Israeli cantaloupe (subgroup Ha'Ogen) is similar to the European one, but it has green flesh.

The muskmelon or American cantaloupe (Cantalupensis group), which has strongly netted rind and orange flesh, includes the following types:

Cantaloupe production
2024, millions of tonnes
 China13.2
 Kazakhstan1.5
 Turkey1.5
 Guatemala0.8
 Afghanistan0.7
 Iran0.6
 United States0.6
World28.2
Source: FAOSTAT
of the United Nations

Some sources also include Tuscan melons among American cantaloupes. These Tuscan-type melons have smaller seed cavities like American western varieties but also have ribs like American eastern varieties. Tuscan melons have noticeably different flavor, potentially due to higher production of ester compounds in these varieties.

Similar types

A melon with netted rind is not necessarily a cantaloupe. Many varieties of Chandalak group and Ameri group also have netted rind.

The Japanese muskmelon (subgroup Earl's) resembles the American cantaloupe in netted rind, but differs in green flesh and non-dehiscent peduncles. Therefore, some horticulturists classify the Japanese muskmelon under Inodorus group instead of Cantalupensis or Reticulatus group.

Production

In 2024, world production of cantaloupes (and other melons) was 28 million tonnes, led by China with 47% of the total (table).

Cantaloupe, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy141 kJ (34 kcal)
8.16 g
Sugars7.86 g
Dietary fiber0.9 g
0.18 g
0.82 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Vitamin A equiv.
26%
232 μg
26%
2780 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
MineralsQuantity
%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 constituentsQuantity
Water90 g
Full Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Uses

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, also Listeria— it is recommended that a melon be washed and scrubbed thoroughly before cutting and consumption to prevent risk of Salmonella or other bacterial pathogens.

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.

Nutrition

Raw cantaloupe is 90% water, 8% carbohydrates, 1% protein and contains negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), raw cantaloupe supplies 34 calories of food energy, and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A (26% DV) and a moderate source of vitamin C (12% DV) (table), with no other micronutrients in significant amounts (less than 10% DV).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pitrat, Michel (2017). "Melon Genetic Resources: Phenotypic Diversity and Horticultural Taxonomy". In Grumet, Rebecca (ed.). Genetics and Genomics of Cucurbitaceae. Plant Genetics and Genomics: Crops and Models. Vol. 20. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 25–60. doi:10.1007/7397_2016_10. ISBN 978-3-319-49332-9.
  2. ↑ "cantaloupe". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "cantelope". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Cantaloupe". Online Etymology Dictionary. 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  5. 1 2 Ensminger, Marion Eugene; Ensminger, Audrey H. (1993). "Cantaloupe". Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). CRC Press. pp. 329–331. ISBN 084938981X.
  6. ↑ "Cantaloupe". New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Production of cantaloupe (and other melons) in 2024, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)". UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database. 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Melon Types". Bayer Vegetables Canada. 19 May 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  9. ↑ Niyakan, Seyednami; Nagashima, Yukihiro; Singh, Jashbir; et al. (1 November 2023). "Genetic and geographical inputs that shape Metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles of melon fruits". Scientia Horticulturae. 321 112337. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112337. ISSN 0304-4238.
  10. ↑ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "TABLE 4-7 Comparison of Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in This Report to Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in the 2005 DRI Report". p. 120. In: Stallings, Virginia A.; Harrison, Meghan; Oria, Maria, eds. (2019). "Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. pp. 101–124. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. NCBI NBK545428.
  12. ↑ Munnoch, S. A.; Ward, K.; Sheridan, S.; et al. (2009). "A multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in Australia associated with cantaloupe consumption". Epidemiology and Infection. 137 (3): 367–74. doi:10.1017/S0950268808000861. hdl:1959.13/39126. PMID 18559128. S2CID 206280340.
  13. ↑ "Kentucky: Cabinet for Health and Family Services – Salmonella2012". Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2012. In general, the FDA recommends thoroughly washing and scrubbing the rinds of all cantaloupes and melons prior to cutting and slicing, and to keep sliced melons refrigerated prior to eating.
  14. ↑ Bellis, Mary (30 June 2017). "The History of Penicillin: Alexander Fleming, John Sheehan, Andrew J Moyer". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 9 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "Penicillin Timeline". United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. 14 February 2018. Then the Peoria researchers made yet another breakthrough. Searching for a superior strain of Penicillium, they found it on a moldy cantaloupe in a Peoria garbage can. When the new strain was made available to drug companies, production skyrocketed.