Chinese Melons Explained! - Weird Fruit Explorer

[@WeirdExplorer]

That time I reviewed a bunch of melons in Beijing: Melons in China 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2nMpH6ZpdJ2naM Melons in China 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnXEdmCHgsR8bNE

[@juliebaker6969]

What else IS there? Watermelon. How can you forget the most popular melon in the US?

[@jeffl4802]

Have you noticed melons changing due to cultivation? Maybe I'm getting old but honeydew was a LOT better when I was a kid. Watermelon is sweeter now. Am I alone here?

[@juliebaker6969]

@@jeffl4802 Almost EVERYTHING is GMO or hybrids today, and unfortunately FLAVOR and NUTRITION are NOT what they're trying to enhance. Their efforts in both GMO and hybridization are aimed at consistent maximum yield, disease and pest resistance, ability to travel long distances without bruising or spoiling, and consistent and appealing appearance. Flavor and nutrition take a backseat to these "more important" (in THEIR opinion) traits.

[@jeffl4802]

@@juliebaker6969 Any cultivated product is "GMO". That means nothing to me. Meanwhile tomatoes are more red and more bland.

[@juliebaker6969]

@@jeffl4802 No not all cultivated products are GMO since cultivated simply means intentionally grown. GMO stands for genetically modified organism, it is ONLY used when referring to food that has been genetically altered by adding bits of the genetic code from ANOTHER organism. This is done in a laboratory and is different from hybridization. Like for instance, adding a snippet of chameleon DNA to a fish to get it to change colors as a camouflage reaction. Hybridization is breeding one plant or animal with another plant or animal in the same family. Like pollinating a zucchini squash flower with pollen from a pumpkin vine, or breeding a horse and a donkey together. There is no tampering with the genes with hybridization, unlike with the production of GMO foodstuffs. Tomatoes are more red and bland because they have been either hybridized or genetically modified. They're more red because one of the traits they are trying to enhance is visual appeal. And they are more bland because they have been designed to have thicker skins so as not to bruise in transit. And because they ship them green so they won't be OVERRIPEN by the time they arive at the stores. Much of the flavor and nutrition have been sacrificed for more durable fruit. And vine ripening enhances flavor, so NOT being vine ripened harms the flavor, and refrigeration just damages the flavor even MORE.

[@futurebeyond3043]

Hey! Love the vids! Fluent in Chinese here and wanted to provide a better translation for the second image. 1.Goat/ram horned honey melon 2. green gem musk melon 3. golden flower treasure or flower blossom musk melon 4. jingmi musk melon (not sure how to translate this, but "jing" usually refers to the capital, think of like BeiJing, and "mi" means honey) 5. jiuhongrui (this is also hard to translate, but "jiu" means long lasting, "hong" means red, and "rui" usually symbolizes good fortune) 6. Elizabeth white melon 7. Eastern honey 8. shizuoka honey melon (shizuoka is the Japanese pronounciation, in China people would pronounce 静冈 as "jinggang") 9. white sugar lemon musk melon *note: text in the image was blurry so some of these may not be 100% correct. **note 2: I translated the character "香" as musk since most of the melons that had the character seemed to be translated to some variety of musk melon, but the character is usually used to describe pleasant, aromatic aromas, so idk how accurate "musk" really is as a translation here.

[@futurebeyond3043]

also, I am not very familiar with melons myself, and in China, cantaloups, honeydew, and all the other melons are just referred to as "xxx 瓜(gua)". So based off the names alone I was not able to differentiate between cantaloups and other melons, hence the lack of cantaloupes & honeydews in the above TL

[@-jank-willson]

musk melons/cantaloupes in China mean a COMPLETELY different melon then musk melons/cantaloupes do in america...

[@ComradeMario]

As a Chinese, I think we usually call those small ones "香瓜", and the big ones "蜜瓜"? Which means "fragrant/aromatic melon" and "honey melon"

[@futurebeyond3043]

@@ComradeMario that sounds about right to me? I'm not sure tho

[@MushroomMagpie]

Isn't musk mellon referred to as fragrant mellon?

[@astroviks]

you've really inspired me to try new fruits. i tried custard apple the other day, it tasted so much like fruit loops!

[@supersloth4635]

Nowadays I hear your voice in my head every time I eat fruit.

[@WeirdExplorer]

🤣

[@Aurica34]

As a person of Chinese descent there are many types of melons. In broadstrokes the two are 1. Desert type Melons - mostly eaten raw as deserts 2. Cooking Melons - mostly used for stews, broths or desert soups

[@applegal3058]

Your cat looked so cute looking up at you 😍 Thanks for the interesting video Jared.

[@DeathMetalDerf]

Mainly commenting to appease the almighty algorithm, but I had absolutely no idea that melons were quite this vast! I'm so glad you get to try so many of these things, because I'm fairly certain that I'll never have a chance to. I think it's super cool you review them and inform us about them, and provide a view of something that there's a good chance many of us will never have the opportunity to try. Thanks again!

[@applegal3058]

I guess I'm not the only one who tries to comment just to help out my favourite KZbinr.

[@DeathMetalDerf]

@@applegal3058 lol yup. I always try to do that for my favorite creators. Especially Jared. We're fellow western New Yorkes, and I actually very much do appreciate his videos. They've opened me up to many new people, places and of course fruits!!

[@milfieldfamilyfarm2228]

Does replying to comments help? Because I love these videos!

[@shannabolser9428]

I have no clue if replying to replies does anything but I hope so. Is there a word limit that needs to be satisfied to make the algorithm happy?

[@DeathMetalDerf]

@@milfieldfamilyfarm2228 any interaction with the video helps. Liking, sharing on other social media, and comments of any length all help boost a video's visibility on YT.

[@alixtheprofessionalcatherd6850]

"I am here today with my cat to talk to you about melons" That amused me more than it should have!

[@sojoboscribe1342]

I assume that, as you get milder and milder you eventually get into the range of the "cucamelon", those that are genetically melons but are treated as cucumbers, like the Indian Dosaki, the Armenian cucumber, and the Carosellos of Italy. I just opened one of my Borneo Jungle cucumbers this morning (another cucamelon) and the melon smell was almost overpowering.

[@JTMusicbox]

Great video! Way to take one for the team and provide an excellent review despite your established distaste for melons.

[@Biociety]

These melons are intriguing since the variances are noticeable both on the outside and inside.

[@beamer.electronics]

IMHO, Cantaloupe and Honey Dew are the best - I score the slice and add a healthy sprinkling of Ginger powder. Both need to be ripe though - closely smell a Cantaloupe, and when it produces an aroma saying "EAT ME", follow instructions :)

[@darcieclements4880]

You haven't lived until you've had pickles made from Armenian cucumbers.

[@fenix0seraph]

I don't know if it's the same exact variety, but my dad uses Chinese melons to make soup by simmering them with pork or chicken bones until they become tender, as a kind of nutritious winter bellywarmer. They're not the most flavorful cooked vegetable out there but they absorb the flavor of the broth and the texture becomes firm yet soft and easy to eat. It's pretty good! Might be worth trying them in a vegetarian stock alternative.

[@-jank-willson]

are they a savory melon or sweet melon

[@ComradeMario]

Ooh, I think what he use is called 冬瓜？With green, thin but hard outer skin and white rind/flesh? And the most amazing thing is, it's actually not a melon, it's latin name is Benincasa hispida.

[@fenix0seraph]

@@ComradeMario Perhaps, but I asked him if they were donggua and he said those were a different thing.

[@ComradeMario]

​@@fenix0seraph Interesting! Now I'm really curious about what they are😂

[@KKIcons]

Thanks, that sounds good to try.

[@pattheplanter]

It is the texture of melons that I don't like. When I tried a ripe pepino ( _Solanum muricatum_ ), I realised that I love the taste of melon, as long as it has the texture of a ripe peach. Watermelon is great but is not the same sort of thing.

[@chubbygardengnome]

Fun fact, a lot of melons have that texture if fresh and vine ripened... Not to mention way more flavorful... Unfortunately you won't really find it for sale, usually have to grow your own to get that, I grew multiple varieties of musk melon/cantaloupe and honeydew for years, and that was what really surprised me, how much more wonderful their texture was when allowed to ripen fully on the vine

[@joannedaniels-finegold7760]

A peppino isn't a melon. It's actually in the same family as tomatoes

[@-jank-willson]

same with me, but for me it is squash🤢...

[@chrissonnenschein6634]

Hopefully it’s just me, but I do not understand or follow the line of thinking on this. All I can say, just eat it and like it.

[@pattheplanter]

@@chrissonnenschein6634 I am not going to like it if I don't like it. Texture is part of the pleasure of food and commercial melons are unpleasantly textured, for me.

[@ComradeMario]

Found the first picture and here’s my translation: 甜瓜原变种 Original Cucumis melo variety: 薄皮甜瓜 Thin skinned melon: 1.越瓜：羊角蜜(Goat/ram horned honey melon) 2.菜瓜：八道眉 3.香瓜：星洲香瓜，白梨瓜 (Oriental melon: Seongju melon, White pear melon(literally) ) A lot of these melons just don’t have an exact English name, to avoid more confusion I just leave the Chinese names here. Think the third one is what we have in this video. 厚皮甜瓜 Thick skinned melon: 1.网纹甜瓜：西州蜜瓜，卡瓦永甜瓜，夏朗德瓜，夕张蜜瓜 (netted skinned cantaloupe: Xizhou honey melon(a variety of Hami melon), Cavaillon melon, Charentais Melon, Yūbari melon) 2.光皮甜瓜：白兰瓜，伊丽莎白瓜 (smooth skinned cantaloupe: White Lanzhou melon, Elizabeth melon)

[@ComradeMario]

The last one is honeydew, including Bailan melon ("bai" means white and "lan" means Lanzhou), Elizabeth melon

[@WeirdExplorer]

Thank you for the translation!

[@jenniferk9242]

One year we planted cucumber seeds from a packet and the plants looked like any other cucumber plant, but as they developed, something was definitely not right about them -apparently somebody messed up at the seed factory and we got cantaloupe lol. It was a nice surprise, the few we got were delicious! Every year I say we'll plant them again but I never quite get around to it

[@GoingtoHecq]

Aww your cat loves you.

[@notmyname327]

I love melons (and cucumbers) and I didn't know there were these many varieties. Will be on the lookout though I doubt I can get my hands on any of these.

[@diannaodman2847]

I tried a Picasso melon late spring, keep the seeds was such a sweet, juicy, and honey dew flavored melon will be growing them next year

[@gtrfreak]

I'm backpacking around Thailand right now and melons are one of my favorite fruits so will def be doing some sampling and experimenting. I love watching the vendors work their magic to tell me which fruits are ripe/ready. 😃 😊

[@LucyLowe-of2wk]

Thanks for the information it was very helpful

[@jnmsks6052]

Ok, a plane went overhead here at the same time as it played on your video. It really freaked out my cat.

[@mercurywoodrose]

hami melon is also found in afghaninstan. its my favorite. by far. edible right to the rind. 2 sections, with different flavor and texture. discovered it 2 years ago, an afghan friend gave me some. we grown them in california.

[@Kay_Watermelon]

I absolutely adore melons!

[@wpc456cpw]

Username checks out 🤣💟

[@Kay_Watermelon]

@@wpc456cpw Abso-flippin'-lutely. 😂😂🍉

[@galaxysmoke4067]

Very interesting! Thank you!

[@gingermany6223]

American : melon selection :: Japan : cheese selection

[@fizixx]

Very interesting. Love melons, so I'd prob enjoy these.

[@zot2698]

this make soo much sense that some chinese recipes uses melons in savory soup recipes. I tried making some using normal melons and it tasted like a dessert. Lol

[@Life-oo2tr]

Not sure if they’re part of the melon family, but in Chinese, we call many other vegetables/fruits melons too. For example, winter melon and bitter melon.

[@whorurlly]

Personally I've always considered the juice in the middle the good stuff. You could try it along with the flesh next time you review melons!

[@luci4133]

Yes! I've always eaten the seeds+juice together with the melon

[@gangstreG123]

I too have been extensively studying Chinese melons...

[@hesham8]

Where did you pick these up? I'm over in Brooklyn, and I'd love to pick this up.

[@DTolen]

Did you re tried the snap melon? The blend one you found on Asia. You need to know how to eat them

[@bethotoole6569]

You have such a cute kitty!! Does he travel with you or do you leave him with a babysitter while you’re off galavanting???

[@JohnBozon]

There is so many facanating things about the botany side of fruits.

[@terricoe7766]

❤so right👍

[@Grimm-Gaming]

Thats why "Crime pays but botany dosent"

[@JohnBozon]

@@Grimm-Gaming Old Tony wide da GLANNNDZ

[@markiangooley]

Melons always make my stomach a bit queasy. Not especially fond of them. I do appreciate such serious efforts to understand them…

[@RaspK]

Armenian melons are life! Seriously, I am missing them and carobs the most where I live... :C

[@yanxuanli3538]

They are soft and overwhelmingly sweet if harvest at the right time. If you ever had the chance to visit Xinjiang, try their fruits--hami melon. Figs, watermelon, grapes. The Great difference in day/night temperature makes their fruits all very sweet. You'll be in love with them instantly.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Thanks for the tips

[@Tam.I.am.]

That nearly sounded like what goes on in my neighbourhood.

[@alan2here]

Melons are nice, but a bit kind of nothing in flavour. Cucumber/Melon similarity, makes sense. OneZoom shows cucumber as a species of Mellon (set the shape to "natural" for a good understanding of the speciation) :) Hell Yeah. However, towards the end of a cucumber, past the seeds something awful happens, they start to taste like a courgette.

[@RyanStonedonCanadianGaming]

Vacuum turns on 7:12

[@Youngstomata]

Weird explorer for president 2024!🎉

[@mandab.3180]

man i love melon 🍈 nothing beats a ripe honeydew.

[@cawwsy]

havent had a melon in a while, seems just like alot of effort

[@WeirdExplorer]

yeah thats generally how I feel about them 😂😂

[@cawwsy]

@@WeirdExplorer too many seeds for a fruit that generally is underwhelming

[@jewiesnew3786]

Have you tried the Kajari melon?

[@JulioAvalos3000]

Where did you get that awesome chair?

[@WeirdExplorer]

absolom roche. I think they rebranded as nyc thrones or something like that. Cool and cheap but low quality materials.

[@pattheplanter]

He explained where he got it in his apartment tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX2pp6R3ir1qmMk

[@JulioAvalos3000]

@@WeirdExplorer Thanks.

[@murphygay7606]

whats the difference between melons and tougher skinned squash like pumpkins and butternut squash?

[@ExkupidsMom]

Cat AND one of the world's greatest chairs.

[@leightonolsson4846]

Oh god I thought I was the only person who didn't like melons! Something about the sponginess of the flesh - I can't quite describe it? Also the note of cucumber? Think I feel ill already....

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

The real question though is what is your cat's opinions on melons, tho

[@WeirdExplorer]

she's never shown any interest in any fruit besides olives. she is very curious about olives... doesn't want to eat them but needs to closely examine them. 🐈

[@johndough8115]

The flavor of a Melon, is vastly different, depending on if you cut it open in its peak Ripeness. IMO.. if you are trying a fruit for the first time... or re-trying one... have a Lover of the specific fruit, do a taste test before you... to make sure you have a perfectly ripe, and perfect taste example of that fruit.

[@yunodiewtf]

White round melons are the best ..the fruit too

[@cuttygrass]

The only melon I really like is cucmber (ok maybe a nice watermelon too), but watching this makes me wonder if I sliced other melons in a similar way, that I might like them for the same kinds of applications

[@-jank-willson]

is it texture or flavor you don't like?

[@cuttygrass]

@@-jank-willson more the flavour, especially the weird headiness

[@JustOneAsbesto]

I would try cubing the green one, put it on toothpicks, and freeze it

[@cerberaodollam]

Watermelon and cantaloupe are the only ones available here, and I find both of them yucky. It would be interesting to find a melon I actually like. Something my dad used to eat as a kid was "priest's cheese" fruit (Malva neglecta). That would be something to review next 😊

[@johndough8115]

Fruits, especially Mellon's, can taste Vastly different... when they are not fully Ripe. Sadly, most Buffets tend to cut fruits when they are not even close to being ripe... And, it can be difficult to know when to cut open a store bought Mellon. Even bananas taste very different when they are mildly green / unripe... compared to when they get brown spots, and are completely ripe. Also, fruits and veggies can taste different, depending on where they are grown. Celery Ive tasted in upper NY, taste strong and slightly bitter... where as Celery Ive tasted in Taiwan, was milder, and sweeter. The fruits were very sweet in Taiwan.. to the point of being too sweet at times. This may be partially because its so hot there, that fruit ripens really fast. So, Its good to try again, with someone that is a melon lover... to help verify the expected taste result. If they give it a thumbs up, try it, and see if your opinion changes. Personally, I cant imagine watermelon, let along cantaloupe, being called "Yucky".

[@istvanglock7445]

@@johndough8115 Melons, unlike say tomatoes, won't ripen off the vine. They will soften up and perhaps become juicer, but the flavor won't improve. Because store-bought melons are always picked prior to full ripeness, those who only know such melons don't know what a vine-ripened melon tastes like - and it is not surprisingly a great deal better than any store-bought melon.

[@darcieclements4880]

​@@istvanglock7445 That's not entirely true. They can improve and do more than soften as long as they aren't picked excessively early. I've grown lots of melons and I can definitely confirm that they have a certain amount that they can do off of the vine. I can smell the ripe ones so keenly that I can pull the one right melon out of a bit of a hundred😂

[@YaosaysObjection]

Did you bring these fruit over from China? I thought customs doesn't let raw fruit be brought over internationally. I'd love to bring more Asian fruit to eat when I travel.

[@WeirdExplorer]

They were at an Chinese supermarket in NYC

[@rwe52496]

I am proud to have contributed the 69th like to this video

[@WeirdExplorer]

😅

[@victoriajankowski1197]

Sakatas sweet melon, looks like you 'pixie melon' here

[@cryingfish2488]

I forgot I'm allergic to muskmelon and I ate a pepino and threw up everywhere

[@WeirdExplorer]

that's interesting. pepino melons aren't actually melons, they're related to tomatoes. they do taste similar, so they might have similar compounds

[@sixeses]

I was waiting for yoy to juggle the three melons. I thought Muskmellons were a separate cultivar, not as sweet?

[@WeirdExplorer]

I can't toss juggle 😶

[@MaoRatto]

These melons look like gourds like pumpkins.

[@brianredban9393]

Brave man i wouldn't go to China if I was offered a free a paid trip. A friend of mine went he said they eat everything rats dogs cats bats he said he would never go back.

[@TheTamally]

My problem with melons is that they usually have very mild flavours. I would have a hard time telling a honeydew and canteloupe apart from just the taste. These seem like there's no reason to get one instead of a locally grown melon, but if you were in china they would probably be a fine go-to if you like melon.

[@johndough8115]

Sounds like you are eating them when they are not fully ripe. When they fully ripe, the sugar and flavor content is maximized.. and you can certainly tell them apart. One thing that helps for fresh Stawberries, is to cut the stems off, cut them in half, then place them into a metal bowl with a mixture of sugar and water. Let them sit in the fridge for at least one day, before eating. Im sure the same tactic could apply to those two melon types... but, it would probably take much longer than a day... and they would still likely have to be very close to peak ripeness... due to their higher density. Melon should be soft and juicy when you sink your teeth into it. It should not be crisp, firm, crunch..etc. Liquid should almost be pouring out into your month, as you bite down.

[@Andrea-rw9tf]

I think they maybe thin skin just as you said for cooking.

[@LagWarriorZergey]

Talking about melons.. in october.. ok 😂

[@WeirdExplorer]

I have way too many videos in the back log to be in season :)

[@LagWarriorZergey]

@@WeirdExplorer melons.. pink october.. get it? 😄

[@beckyosborne]

teach me about melons master

[@VlogCandyMinus]

I dislike the taste of melons. It started with cucumbers and then I realized the flavor that I don't like about cucumber also exist in watermelon rind.

[@sofascialistadankulamegado1781]

Loud motor vehicles are so damn annoying. It really impacts my work and I can't afford to rent a studio to get some quiet when recording.

[@WeirdExplorer]

I know the pain 😶

[@arnoldmmbb]

I also never liked much Melons or Watermelons

[@hukmai]

Now try Bitter Melon

[@WeirdExplorer]

There's a video check the archive at weirdexplorer.com

[@man-xy1cs]

I paid about 50 dollars for a Japanese melon once, I can't say it was the best melon i had...

[@johndough8115]

A fruits taste, vastly changes, depending on how ripe it is. If you ate it before its peak ripeness... then its no wonder why you would be disappointed. Just like if you over-cook a +$100 cut of Steak... you wont be happy about the end result. That said, 50$ is way too much for fruit, IMO.

[@Gogurtbump]

"not the biggest fan of melons" What about peaches then?

[@ericcarabetta1161]

So basically they all taste like crunchy, dirty water; like cucumbers.

[@hqi01]

👍🏻

[@robclark3095]

The cucumbery flavor is why I don’t like melons.

[@russelllukenbill]

Melons spelled backwards is snolem. Just saying.

[@jeffl4802]

Seems like melons are worse to categorize than apples lol

[@tcss0612]

香瓜 literally mean musk melon or smelling good melon but the musk here is actuelly a meanless profix. every melon smells good for crying out loud! it is commen in chinese to add meanless profix. any way,香瓜actuelly means melon with thin skin. this is how thiw world is currentky use in taiwan atleast. the thin skin melon are call "香瓜" in chinese (musk melon ) here is my version of translate 1.Capricorn honey 2.Emerald melon 3.Golden Blossom or Blossom melon 4.Capital Sweet (京 means Capital ) capital is also common in english fruit varity naming. so i just translte it literally. it feel REALLY SWEET 5.Ever red. this is hard to translate . i did not translte 瑞 here. this world mean long-lasting lucky it's basically a chinese buzz wordl ppl like to shoehorn into everything so i just skip it. 6.Elizabeth (Just a standeroff shelf wester girl name ) 7.Oriental honey 8.shizuoka melon 9.White candy can

[@_faultee_]

Usually Chinese melons are too small for my tastes. 😂 But for real I wouldnt want to eat any fruit or veggies grown in China, their food safety is nonexistent. I always wanted to visit Hong Kong before its fall but not its looking like I will never get to visit China ever.

[@darcieclements4880]

Exported products are required to meet the same safety conditions as food grown for the country that their exported to and they get extra testing for being external to the country that they're going to.

[@8ending8ranches]

i feel you would do better for this show and your act out of Saratoga NY. less race cars less neighbors vacuuming lol

[@JohnBainbridge0]

😼❤

[@alhassani626]

This is just weak ass taxonomy.

[@TheOrangutans564]

second

[@edgarburlyman738]

I'm going to make a pornhub, go to exotic locales and be the weird poontang explorer.