Label
All
0
Clear all filters

Melon: History

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

The wild ancestors of C. melo seem to have been native to the region stretching from Egypt to Iran and NW India. This fits the belief of many people that the finest melons of all in modern times come from Afghanistan and Iran and adjacent areas.

There is little clear evidence of melons being eaten in ancient times. References from classical Greece and Rome are sparse and lack the enthusiasm which one would certainly have expected if they had really good melons on their tables.

After the fall of the Roman Empire the rising Arab civilizations began to cultivate melons. Ibn Al Awam (d. 1145), the agricultural writer of Andalusia, lists six kinds of melon (none, according to his editor, recognizable as a variety known now).

Become a Premium Member to access this page

  • β€Œ
  • β€Œ
  • β€Œ
  • β€Œ
  • β€Œ
Download on the App Store
Pre-register on Google Play

Monthly plan

Annual plan

Part of

The licensor does not allow printing of this title