Melon-choly

I visited the Raleigh Farmer's Market this week. The visit, coupled with the beads of sweat perched on my forehead, reminded me that it's full-on summer. Tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon were all abundantly in season. The zucchini, or squash, as it was called, looked invitingly green.

While the cantaloupes and their beckoning free samples were attractive, I asked around to see if anyone had honeydew, my favorite melon. Nope.

But if you're looking for honeydew, one vendor told me, you should try the sprite melon across the way. After being reassured that the soda industry wasn't in cahoots with North Carolina farmers, I examined what looked like a small honeydew.

The grower, a young man, was giving it toothpick tastes. He described it as a cross between a pear and a honeydew. Maybe the worst parts of each. In hindsight, it's not surprising that I didn't enjoy its flavor, since I don't love a pear.

Back at the ranch, I learned a bit more about the sprite melon. While I was under the impression the sprite melon was a result of some cross-breeding, it's actually an Oriental crisp flesh melon, said Nick Augostini, a marketing specialist at the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture's Specialty Crops program.

Around 2000, the N.C. Specialty Crops Program realized there was a market for this melon and that it would thrive in North Carolina's climate. Today, sprite melons are grown here and shipped across the country, sometimes marketed as Paradise Melons (I think).

Anyway, the outing made me realize there's a whole world of melons, waiting to be discovered. And while I'm getting around to that exploration, I'm enjoying a good ol' watermelon from the farmer's market.