Trying Every Type Of Melon | The Big Guide | Epicurious

Chef Adrienne Cheatham breaks down everything there is to know about getting the most out of melons. From knowing how to tell when each is ripe to demonstrating a few crowd-pleasing ways to serve them up, chef Adrienne will get you up-to-speed on every aspect of working with melons in the kitchen.
Follow Chef Adrienne on Instagram at @chefadriennecheatham
Director: Gunsel Pehlivan
Director of Photography: Kevin Dynia
Editor: Boris Khaykin
Host and Expert: Adrienne Cheatham
Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Coordinating Producer: Tommy Werner
Culinary Producer: Kat Boytsova
Line Producer: Jen McGinity
Associate Producer: Michael Cascio, Dimitri Lazarashvili
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Camera Operator: Jake Robbins
Audio: Kurt Pierce
Production Assistant: Nikki Ligos
Hair & Make Up: Nina Blue
Culinary Assistant: Jessica Do, Leslie Raney
Research Director: Ryan Harrington
Copy and Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao
Post Production Supervisor: Stephanie Cardone
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
--
0:00 Introduction
0:20 A Brief Note On The Family
0:57 Chapter 1 - Cucumis
1:03 Cantaloupe
2:51 Tuscan Cantaloupe
4:04 Honeydew
5:49 Canary Melon
7:18 Galia Melon
8:54 Ivory Gaya Melon
10:09 Zerbinati Sun Sweet
12:20 Hami Melon
13:47 Crenshaw Melon
15:28 Korean Melon
16:41 Christmas Melon
17:48 Chapter 2 - Citrullus
17:50 Watermelon
19:47 Yellow Watermelon
21:28 Wrap Up
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[@doubles1545]

I bought a seed mix that included “banana melon.” I planted some and I have two banana melons developing on the vine. I watched this in hopes of finding out what’s in store for me, but alas, banana melon wasn’t included so I’m still clueless what I will be getting with these melons.

[@jynxx37]

Google it

[@klaaskingma7435]

You can just google it. Since melons cross pollinate so easily it’ll be physically impossible to cover every single obe

[@lavenderwaffles4047]

so what happened with the melons?

[@doubles1545]

@@lavenderwaffles4047 a blasted squirrel chewed holes in them, then the ants got in. I didn’t get one. I’ll try again.

[@lavenderwaffles4047]

@@doubles1545 noooooo dangit!!!

[@KamekazeKuban]

I love seeing these videos with her in it!! I like her puns, jokes and the way she conveys the information. She seems like a genuine person! Always a must watch! Can’t wait to see her in more videos like this!!

[@moiraness444]

You should watch Adrienne on her season of Top Chef! Season 15!

[@KamekazeKuban]

@@moiraness444 hell yea, thanks for that, I’ll definitely check it out!

[@TheHomerowKeys]

Leave it to Cleaver! LOL

[@balalsheikh6226]

Haha

[@doradodo1503]

OMG! I used to love cantaloupe. My dad used to buy them in the summer and would throw the flesh in a blender with ice and sugar or just scoop it out with a spoon. It was a family activity eating cantaloupe together. I haven’t had it since he passed away. May he rest in peace ❤

[@ascotter]

That took a sad turn. What a great memory. I hope you enjoy some cantaloupe in his memory soon

[@augustsmith9553]

Yeah, eat some cantaloupe, and heal yourself before you make anymore sad comments

[@CamiBolivar10]

It’s impossible not to love her, and not get as excited as she does about every discovery of flavor with each bite. Definitely going to try and get hold of a couple of these to try out some of the recipes. So informative! Thanks!

[@lunacy3]

I’ve been waiting for one of these type of videos to come out again😭 they’re always so interesting

[@DuckyToon.]

I know right

[@brandonk99ign]

When you eventually got to the Korean melon, I was hoping you are the seeds. The seeds/fiber packs the most sugars and are actually the best part.

[@douglasmijangos3327]

I love this girl .. she’s so into everything she does ❤️

[@magik4353]

and she got some nice melons too 😍

[@staticvoidmain]

Filipino cantaloupes, locally just known as "melon" are sweet and very orange like the zerbinati. It tastes almost the same as a very ripe and sweet honeydew, which is why it is common to find them in juice form. I was hoping you'd show that here with a maybe a different name, but it seems like I've yet to find that variety here in the US.

[@selymanis8606]

Similar to Indonesia. We familiar with melon (cantaloupe), semangka (watermelon, red and yellow), timun suri (cucumis Melo L var Reticulatus Naudin) and blewah (cucumis Melo L var Cantalupensis L)

[@HHLucifer666]

USA here, I grow up in a rural area that grows watermelons and cantaloupes as its main deal. When I saw that zerbinati I was like "that's a canteloupe" and then she said the price I just got unreasonably upset...

[@errhka]

I never noticed the difference between the regular and italian cantaloupe! Good to know. I tried a Hami Melon once cus it was on sale and they were great - my family loved how subtle and crunchy it was. Would definitely buy it again if I saw it

[@Somcognito]

Right!!! Same

[@JYMBO]

Here in the UK Cantaloupes are not that common, Yellow Honeydew is the most common one you will see & you're also more likely to find a Watermelon before you find a cantaloupe

[@JYMBO]

oh just realized you call it canary melon but here its called yellow honeydew

[@sharonhill2602]

I’m in the uk and see cantaloupes all the time. Unless you shop in Aldi.

[@stephsnacks1272]

@@sharonhill2602 I see them all the time too. Especially in Tesco’s

[@JYMBO]

oh i didn't mean you can't find them at all just that they are less common... cantaloupes are not considered the "default melon" or "gateway melon" here in the UK as she states cantaloupes are in the US or wherever she is from, if a shop here has 10 cantaloupes for sale you can bet there are 50 yellow honeydews on sale right next to them & maybe 20 watermelons, so whilst they are widely available it's not equal because not as many people buy them & some smaller shops like tesco express and even corner shops only sell Yellow honeydew & MAYBE watermelons if they have a big enough fruit section, so they are less common in general :D

[@arickmccance3972]

@@JYMBO Blah Blah Blah

[@s.sarmadamer]

She's playing real life fruit ninja with these melons. What a throwback!

[@ayaaahmed4677]

I love her so much! I don’t even care about melons but I love watching her :) my teachers should watch and take notes.

[@kadenrichards5660]

You guys should do a “how to pair every wine” because tbh I get confused 😅

[@mohammadnaqvi5309]

So I noticed the origin of a few were Persia. In the North east of Iran we have a melon called "Kharbozeh Mashhadi" or Mashhadi Melon. Its super super good! Can't wait for the season to start again to get some!

[@fufufuaru]

how I wish i was crew in that shoot, I want to try them all 😭I really like how chef Adrienne describes them very specifically

[@woahcrash]

she is my new queen of food education, I've been binging all these videos lol

[@haveyoutakenyourmeds]

The Christmas melon is known as piel de sapo in the UK. You can usually get them in bigger supermarkets, they tend to be on the pricier side, probably because they arent as popular as a honeydew (the name we give canary melon) or watermelon. Lidl had them for 95p this week!

[@pinipilla]

Piel de sapo is actually the most common in spain and also the cheapest when someone says melon we almost instantly think in that one

[@apmoy70]

I concur on the watermelon with feta, they complement each other perfectly

[@brokenglassshimmerlikestar3407]

I got a French cantalope and some Spanish jamón in the fridge. Time to see if they go together!

[@yiasminathefangirl]

in Cyprus, we eat watermelon with our national cheese, Halloumi❤ it’s my favourite fruit preparation, especially with the more softer type of halloumi

[@moiraness444]

Adrienne is my absolute favourite to watch and learn from! We love this series. Please keep making more!

[@Torakosama]

i love Adrienne Cheatham so much. her enthusiasm is what turned mw around on citrus fruits.

[@emiliogonzales658]

These guides are always so full of great historical information , and recipe ideas! Please do one for chile peppers.

[@Craigbaby246]

Just got cantaloupe, honey dew and watermelon delivered this morning. Made a fresh fruit salad for lunch. So good.

[@nicolerain3127]

Love this! Its very informative and entertaining to watch. Thank you for the knowledge that was shared!

[@andhe3739]

i love adrienne so much, the way i learn so much because of her

[@FujitheChef]

On videos like this, along with the country of origin, it would be cool to see what season the fruit/veggie should be planted. Gardeners would much appreciate that :) Keep making these videos! I love getting ideas of what to plant next in the garden.

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

They probably consider that their audience doesn't just come from one country. The seasons are different from country to country and growing conditions even more so. And a gardener should make effort to look up growing conditions for a specific melon in their region rather than base it on this type of video. But also, the video is about melons, so summer, dear, melons don't grow outside in the winter.

[@deborahmandra2745]

I had so much fun watching your presentation! Your humor is sssooo refreshing Thanks

[@cmcull987]

She's so fun and enthusiastic. Yay!

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Some very interesting recipes and varieties!

[@EmilyVioletMarie]

Yaaaayy I love the videos with Adrienne!

[@angelinapark7177]

recently bought an orange watermelon and it tastes so good! I knew yellow watermelons were a thing but I did not know orange ones existed

[@pauljones754]

OUTSTANDING INFORMATIVE BROADCAST. THANK YOU

[@asrinahdnahd]

she's such a character, love her!

[@PeopleLoveShorts]

I love her ponytail so lovely

[@fevereddreams3805]

this was very fun and educational however she was just a natural - great video, great talent.

[@monstahotdog304]

Omg why did she get rid of the seeds for the Korean melon. That's literally the sweetest and best part

[@hbanana7]

Scrolled to see if anyone felt the way i did. 😅

[@aramwis]

Never seen anyone so passionate and excited about melons. Loving it!

[@walkernel]

hehe

[@johnmarkvanzee]

I love watching her vids. She knows her stuff

[@rinarose9544]

One of my favorite ways to eat watermelon is with a little pinch of ginger salt! Absolutely divine.

[@ashifahajira7201]

love watching these at 3 am

[@drcbeartooths]

Tons of melon info - great. But she's the reason for the fun and wanting to find and cut into one of each. Thanks!

[@giuseppegarrubba57]

as an italian, almost every one of these videos make me proud. Today I learned that "granita" doesn't have a translation in english

[@Elyass-rq8wm]

Why?

[@smokeydoke100]

Something I learned about eating watermelon from the Japanese is, if you give it a very light sprinkling of salt, it really brings out the sweetness.

[@ZPALMY]

Late reply but you can do the same with pineapple! Cute doggo!

[@furrycircuitry2378]

Tajin tastes amazing on watermelon

[@smokeydoke100]

@@furrycircuitry2378 That's a new one for me. I'll have to try it.

[@smokeydoke100]

@@furrycircuitry2378 Tried it, meh! I'll stick with my purple bamboo salt.

[@stayfrosty2519]

The southern US states probably taught the Japanese that food accompaniment.

[@beanb34n95]

Can you make a big guide about beans? I would appreciate it.

[@JohnPMiller]

Missing: Casaba and Charentais. I have been calling Christmas melons "Crenshaws" until I saw this video.😞

[@questionresearch8721]

Thank you in advance. ❤️❤️❤️

[@anniestumpy9918]

That was informative, thanks! Funny enough, in Germany I don't remember ever having seen what you introduced as "honeydew melon" (although it looked and sounded absolutely delicious!) whereas what you called "canary melon" is called "Honigmelone" - honey melon in German. Confusing! :)

[@EagleChrysaetos]

oh I THOUGHT th canary melon looked like what we in the UK call honeydew too

[@admobeer9551]

This was a fun watch.

[@riachuelowe2417]

As a spaniard Christmas Melons are the top tier food in Summer, y'all should try it!!

[@hungrybesties]

Awesome and so yummy! Thanks for sharing! Have a great day

[@crugkvadrat3161]

What a masterpiece video

[@ryotanada]

Fan of melons myself. Hell, even from the first second, when she cuts into that thing, I can smell it from here.

[@christinewebb4581]

My new favorite this year is the lemon drop melon

[@bluegrassboy2448]

Watermelon thankfully brings back good memories. I love hearing the older folks from the Great Depression/WW2 era tell stories about when they were kids, they would pool their money together with friends and buy a melon from the produce stand. They would then tie a rope to a tree, near a creek and tie the other end to the melon, and let it float in the creek to cool it down. They would relax under the shade of the tree and await the treasure of the sweet melon. What a combo!

[@kevenquinlan]

Nice. You have the best presenter's personality, very congenial. Anywho- I've only had about 6 of those melons and I bought a Canary one summer in Desert Palm which was probably the best melon I ever ate. It was Soo juicy and sweet. It was like natures candy. Coachella grows a lot of melons but not a lot of different kinds. There is even a wash, Tahquitz, in Palm Springs, where someone/sometime had eaten a cantelope and thrown the seeds on the ground and the wash gets just enough water for it to grow really tiny, inedible ones. It's just weird as you're in a brutally hot, dry desert and here in this little tuft of area= melons, lol. It gets a lot of shade there from the mountain otherwise it would be too hot to grow without tons of water.

[@RailgunBlaster]

i need more melon reviews omggg

[@mariamercedeschaconfernand1075]

Great video!

[@greenapple9477]

She's back!

[@alanna4148]

Damn I love this video !! Thank you

[@emilytaylor9108]

I was always taught to thump or gently whack a watermelon to test its ripeness. A hollow sound meant it was not too ripe, but if it sounded flat, then it was overripe.

[@VioletxWing]

You can also knock on a watermelon to see if it's ripe. If it sounds hollow, it's ripe! If it sounds dense, it's not.

[@bootsiemon]

She is nice to listen to ☺~ also Yellow watermelon is sooooooo good.

[@ColombianLNP]

She's so awesome and beautiful i love these ! Learned quite a lot today, cheers from your biggest fan in Colombia amigos!

[@nicolenew1708]

SUPER AMAZING

[@anavictorianormie]

Gosh, I love melons so much

[@A.Filthy.Casual]

She's very smart and informative so I'm not mad--but bruh why's she been the only person in Epicurious videos lately lol

[@s.sarmadamer]

I suspect budget cuts

[@JohnHausser]

🍉 🍈 Most underrated fruits of all time 😭 Cheers from San Diego California

[@maccrazy7335]

I always cut cantaloupes and honeydews lengthwise take the seeds out and spoon it out of the rind...

[@hoverschmoover]

Love Chef Adrienne! I believe she was a finalist in Top Chef Colorado?

[@Yaimthatguy1]

I was looking for the guide to big melons and found this by accident, how cool, though!

[@akimana16d]

I love her and her little dance when she tastes something good.❤️

[@joylox]

I've had a yellow watermelon from a local farm that grows heirloom varieties, and I found it was sweeter, almost more like a canary melon, which is another favourite of mine. Unfortunately I haven't had any luck trying to grow them myself. I can grow squash and cucumbers no problem, I made so many pickles this year with my baskets of extra cucumbers, but no luck with a watermelon.

[@myurbangarden7695]

You will have to start the seeds inside or " greenhouse" the vine. Melon 🍉 needs a lot of heat. Try the sugar baby variety under some sort of hoop house or greenhouse plastic.

[@grandmabiscuits]

i love eating most of a watermelon rind, even when completely plain and unprepared and unpickled. i don’t go all the way to the skin, but i eat pretty much all the way to the medium-dark green parts. honestly the white/light green parts are my favorite parts of a watermelon.

[@anugrahsetyawibawa4449]

omg I love her! I love the energy and the jokes, i don’t care about the melon, just waiting for her next pun

[@maltavfamily]

interesting recipes and varieties

[@allmic101]

I don't know who this woman is but I love her 😍😅 I came for the melons but stayed for her personality. 😌

[@austinduke8876]

This woman's enthusiasm for melon is intoxicating.

[@panjimartiandaru3081]

The room must be smells amazing, with those melons. I'd love to taste some of less common melons, I haven't see some of those here in local market yet.

[@baonguyen-po3ko]

Here in Vietnam we have a variety called " Dưa Gang " Its like a big long melon with a yellow-greenish color when its ripe.U know it ripens once u see a few cracks on the rind.The flesh is bland ,soft almost creamy but the smell to me is heaven. Because its so bland we eat it with sugar/condensed milk and crushed ice 🤤🤤🤤

[@madasahatter4489]

Sounds delish Bao

[@baonguyen-po3ko]

@@madasahatter4489 it does 🤩

[@hunterplays6458]

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 sounds soooooooooooo dulisus

[@user-qk7ev7rm7e]

15:28 As one korean, I have to say something. You must eat the korean melon with seeds! The seed has everything that melon has like softness, sweetness, and more.

[@ori_iorithegreat1463]

Her reflexes were crazy

[@_Toxicity]

With your Pro/Home Chef Swap or your 3 Levels series, could you do Po Boy Sandwiches?

[@MariaReynoldsWeir]

Cantelope or honeydew juice, Lime, and fig infused bourbon. My favorite cocktail.

[@matthewcarreras1904]

Herbs or Berries should be next. Lot of interesting varieties.

[@KevinPan-tl6vn]

Melons are berries and bananas are too

[@matthewcarreras1904]

@@KevinPan-tl6vn I know this already but I'm talking more about traditionally viewed berries.

[@Cheese-mr4tn]

I love this lady

[@barbarahalsey4001]

We grew banana lope when I was a kid a long yellow melon that looked like a banana and tasted like a mild lope , I have never found them in stores , you could find the seeds in Burpe seed Co.

[@thomashartmann5625]

You can tell, she really loves her melons, love the passion in this video

[@eastafrica1020]

My favorite reviewer.

[@MartianBuddy]

i cant believe, my fav melon isn't a honeydew but canary melon. canary was just a "species" of honey dew. i learn something today.

[@sharonhill2602]

I don’t even like melon, but love this series.

[@haleywagner3144]

Her happy melon dances give me hope for my future

[@gregalisondrr]

This is why epicurious is one of my favorite channels. Very informative. by the way, english is not my native language. i heard the word subtle several times in this video, i searched it up but i still cant understand the meaning. anyone mind helping me understand the context behind it? im so bothered that i cant get it 😁

[@lilyn7497]

a subtle taste is basically a taste that you barely taste, or only slightly taste in your mouth. a "light" flavor if that makes sense

[@gnomeandgarden6157]

The Galia melon is marketed (at least in my area) as Kiss Melons (Summer Kiss, Sugar Kiss...).

[@barryschalkwijk9388]

Galia's are the most common over here. You want them a bit more ripe and then they really start popping in flavor.

[@SquirrelAssassin247]

canary melon is my favorite :)

[@liviemillie6455]

I love how watermelons were originally yellow, carrots were originally purple, etc. It's hilarious. I just discovered yellow watermelons for the first time about 2 weeks ago. I thought it was a regular one that had gone bad ;~; They also taste a little nasty.

[@stardust9072]

have u tried melon manis terengganu? it's sweet (orange part) and crunchy on the exterior (greenish part). very nice. i only eat that melon variety so it should be good.

[@Turquoisebadger]

I want to be the person that gets to take the leftovers home after this is filmed.

[@TheFettuck]

Galia melon is probably my favorite.