Botanists divide melons into three categories: cantaloupes, muskmelons, and winter melons. What we know in America as the cantaloupe is actually a type of muskmelon and—go figure—not a botanical cantaloupe at all. And watermelons are a distant family relation. But flavor, not botany, rules at the grocery store. Here's a guide to some great-tasting melons.
If you like American cantaloupe...
Try Charentais, a true cantaloupe variety that is small (slightly bigger than a softball), with smooth, creamy skin and exceptionally fragrant, buttery flesh. Look for it at gourmet stores in June and July. Or try a Persian melon, a large, grayish-green muskmelon with a faintly netted rind and delectable, aromatic pale orange flesh; in season from July through October.
If you like honeydew
Try Cavaillon, a melon from France that has smooth, pale skin and sweet, perfumy flesh. Orange-fleshed honeydews, like green ones, peak in early fall but are often good up until Christmastime. Or sample juicy, sweet casaba melons from late summer through late fall.
If you like watermelon
Try, well, other watermelons. Dozens of new varieties have been developed in the past few decades; the best can often be found at farm stands. Good ones include Orangeglo, a supersweet and juicy orange-fleshed watermelon, and Moon and Stars, a popular heirloom. Watermelons are available from May through September; late summer is their peak.
