9 Types of Melons to Try This Summer

Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are widely available year-round, while summer brings additional melon varieties with floral aromas, honey-sweet flesh, and textures ranging from crisp to custardy. Many belong to the muskmelon family, sharing a general kinship while offering distinct flavor profiles. Some melons are best eaten ice-cold in thick wedges, while others pair well with salty cheese, cured meat, fresh herbs, chiles, or citrus. Several can replace cantaloupe or honeydew in recipes. Charentais melon is small and spherical with deep orange flesh, floral flavor, warm spice notes, and strong fragrance when fully ripe. Canary melon has bright yellow skin, sugary lightly tangy tropical flavor, pale green flesh, and a pear-like texture, performing well in cold soups and salads with herbs.

"Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are easy to find at grocery stores year-round. But during summer, farmers markets and roadside stands start filling up with other types of melons—varieties with floral aromas, honey-sweet flesh, and textures that range from crisp and refreshing to soft and almost custardy. Many belong to the muskmelon family, which also includes cantaloupe and honeydew, though each one has its own distinct flavor and personality."

"Some are perfect for eating ice-cold in thick wedges over the kitchen sink; others pair especially well with salty cheese, cured meat, fresh herbs, chiles, or citrus. And while all of them make excellent snacks, most can also be swapped into recipes calling for cantaloupe or honeydew. Here are a few of our favorite melon varieties to hunt down this summer."

"Honeyed, tender Charentais is a small, spherical melon with greenish-gray ribbing, slight netting (like a cantaloupe with stripes), and deep orange flesh. It's sometimes called a "true cantaloupe" since the American cantaloupe is closely related, but actually different type of muskmelon. The flavor is floral with warm spice notes, and intensely fragrant when fully ripe."

"Named for its bright yellow skin, this football-shaped melon is sugary, lightly tangy, and subtly tropical in taste. Its ripe flesh is pale green, with a texture often compared to a ripe pear. Canary melon is especially good in cold soups and salads, particularly when paired with herbs like basil, mint, and cilantro."

Read at Bon Appetit