Oriental melon

The oriental melon (Cucumis melo Makuwa Group), also known as the Korean melon, is a type of muskmelon that is cultivated in East Asia. Phylogenetic studies tracing the genetic lineage of the plant suggest that it may have originated in eastern India, having then spread to China over the Silk Road, from which it was introduced to Korea and Japan. Its flavour has been described as a cross between a honeydew melon and a cucumber. It is noticeably less sweet than Western varieties of melon, and consists of about 90% water. The fruits are commonly eaten fresh; with its thin rind and small seeds, the melon can be eaten whole. The Korean name chamoe (참외 ) is a composite of words: cham meaning 'true' or 'real' and oe meaning 'cucumber (melon)'. It is thought that the oriental melon was introduced to Korea through China during the Three Kingdoms period. The fruit has long enjoyed popularity in Korea, where it is considered the representative fruit of summer. Oriental melons are commonly made into a side dish, called chamoe-jangajji, whereby they are pickled with spices. In 2017, 41,943 hectares (103,640 acres) of land was used for their cultivation, yielding about 166,281 tonnes (183,293 short tons) of melons. Seongju County in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea is famous as the centre of oriental melon cultivation in Korea, with farms in the area comprising 70% of total production in the country. In Japanese, they are called makuwa uri (真桑瓜 ). Oriental melon seeds have been found in Jōmon period archaeological sites, attesting to the long history of cultivation in Japan. The name makuwa uri is said to derive from the village of Makuwa, in the ancient province of Mino (now part of Motosu, Gifu), which became known for its high-quality Oriental melons in the 2nd century AD. They were once widely eaten in Japan, having been so common that the general word uri (瓜), meaning gourd or melon, came to refer specifically to the Oriental melon. Starting in 1925, when the first western melon cultivars were introduced, the Oriental melon began to fall out of favour among wealthy consumers, and by the late 20th century came to be thought of as a peasant food. It is commonly used as an offering during the Bon Festival, with the period around the festival considered to be the best time to harvest them (shun, 旬). Unripe melons are often made into various kinds of tsukemono (pickles). The plant was first classified as 'Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa' in 1928 by Japanese botanist Tomitaro Makino. The current accepted botanical name is 'Cucumis melo L. (Makuwa Group)'. Makino's proposed name remains recognised as a synonym. The oriental melon is a cool sub-temperate crop, growing best with day temperatures between 24 and 28 °C (75 and 82 °F) and night temperatures between 16 and 24 °C (61 and 75 °F). It requires good sunlight and rich, well-drained, friable, and moisture-retaining soil. It is drought tolerant, but requires sufficient water for optimal growth. The plant, a cucurbit, is an annual herbaceous plant that branches and trails. The stem is angular and hirsute (hairy) and 7 millimetres (1⁄5 in) in diameter. The leaves are reniform (kidney-shaped) with 5-7 lobes. It is andromonoecious (both bisexual and male flowers on same plant) with yellow flowers.