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Watermelon and melon: the fruits of summer

They arrive on the table when the heat has already taken away any desire to cook. Watermelon takes up half the fridge, melon is recognised by its scent even before it is cut. One calls for a large knife and a board wide enough; the other moves naturally from starter to dessert. And both, when bought, raise the Hamlet-like doubt: will it or won’t it be the sweetest and ripest in the land?

They differ in shape, texture and flavour, but in August they often end up side by side. They have a high water content, immediately recognisable colours and a stable place in the imagery of the Italian summer. Watermelon and melon are only cousins: they both belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, but they have numerous varieties and different ways of ripening and arriving on the plate.

Two fruits with a hard rind

Watermelon is Citrullus lanatus, while melon is Cucumis melo. Their agricultural histories are ancient: watermelon has African origins, while studies on melon indicate several domestication processes between Africa and Asia. Over time, selection has produced flesh in different colours, rinds of varying thickness and shapes suited to different climates and consumption habits.

There are very large watermelons and others weighing only a few kilograms, red, yellow or orange flesh, varieties with clearly visible seeds and others marketed as seedless. Melon, too, is a broad world: netted, cantaloupe, smooth-skinned, yellow, green, with orange, white or pale flesh. Scent, texture, sweetness and behaviour after harvesting all change.

Even the names tell a geography. “Anguria” has spread mainly in northern Italy, while “cocomero” belongs to the Tuscan tradition and is considered the more general Italian form. In some areas of the South, people speak of “melone d’acqua”; in Tuscany, melon can become “popone”. The products most present in everyday life are often those that accumulate the most names and local habits.

Watermelon has a collective dimension. It is bought whole or in large portions, opened at the centre of the table and rarely goes unnoticed. Melon is more contained and fragrant, lends itself to being served in regular slices and finds space at different moments of the meal. One is almost a scene; the other is already an ingredient.

Water, fragrance and sweetness

Watermelon owes much of its identity to water: the edible part contains around 95% water and provides 16 kilocalories per 100 grams. In summer melon, water is around 90% and energy rises to 34 kilocalories. Sugars also differ: around 3.7 grams per 100 grams in watermelon and 7.4 in melon. These are average values, useful for describing the two fruits but not for predicting the flavour of every single specimen. Perceived sweetness does not depend only on the amount of sugar. Acidity, texture and aromatic compounds also matter. Watermelon relies on freshness, crunchiness and the amount of juice released with every bite. Melon has a more evident aromatic presence: during ripening, numerous volatile compounds change, with major differences between one variety and another.

Colour also contributes to the experience. In melon, orange flesh owes its shade to the presence of carotenoids; other varieties remain white or green and develop different aromatic profiles. In watermelon, red is not an automatic guarantee of sweetness: variety, ripeness and growing conditions all affect the result. The moment of harvesting is decisive. Watermelon does not become sweeter after being detached from the plant: it can soften and lose quality, but its sugars do not increase. The signs used in the field include the drying of the tendril near the fruit and the colour of the area that remained in contact with the ground. The famous tap on the rind can offer an indication, but it requires experience and varies according to size and variety.

With melon, the issue is less uniform. Some types continue to change after harvesting, developing fragrance and softness; others increase their sweetness little or not at all. The scent near the stem, the colour of the rind and a slight softness can be useful signs for some varieties, but not rules that apply to all. The perfect melon is not chosen with a single trick: you need to know at least the type you have in front of you.

Much more than a slice

The simplest way to eat them remains the most common: cut and served fresh. Around this simplicity, however, watermelon and melon have built two different gastronomic repertoires.

Watermelon works well when it preserves its watery component. It becomes granita, sorbet, ice lolly, juice or a base for non-alcoholic drinks. Cut into cubes, it enters salads with savoury ingredients, aromatic herbs and cheeses. The flesh can be transformed into jellies and spoon desserts, while the white part of the rind, after appropriate treatment, is used in some preserves and sweet-and-sour preparations.

Melon moves easily from sweet to savoury. Prosciutto and melon is the best-known pairing, built on the contrast between sweetness, savouriness and fat. The same logic works with cheeses, fish, fresh herbs and acidic dressings. The flesh can become a cold soup, sauce, ice cream, jam, juice or purée; in the most fragrant varieties, the aroma remains the trait to protect during every processing stage.

When they are cut, blended or transformed, the two fruits change quickly. Watermelon tends to release a lot of water and easily loses its crunchiness. Melon develops and disperses intense aromas, while the texture can become floury if the fruit is too ripe. Juices, purées, granitas, sorbets and ready-to-eat products require attention to temperature, timing and oxygen: at that point, the challenge is to preserve the characteristics that make watermelon and melon recognisable.

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