Cantaloupes
Australian Rock Melons
Common to Australia and New Zealand, the rockmelon is a type of melon with sweet orange flesh and a rough netted skin. In 2018, rockmelon sales in this region dropped by 90 percent following cases of listeria which were linked to several deaths and miscarriages. The cause of the outbreak was found to be heavy rains in December, followed by dust storms. This, along with rockmelons’ netted skin can make cleaning the fruits more difficult.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-11/listeria-rockmelon-report-finds-outbreak-caused-dust-storms/10365636
Muskmelon or American Cantaloupe
"All cantaloupes are musk melons, but not all musk melons are cantaloupes." This statement is accurate of the American Cantaloupe, which is not a true cantaloupe, but is a fruit closer to the rockmelon in taste and texture. The true cantaloupe, as discussed below, is a European Cantaloupe. Another less common name is the reticulated melon. The American variety has sweet orange flesh and a rough netted skin. They owe their color to high vitamin A content. A cup of the fruit contains a high amount of sugar as well – nearly 13 grams. Although higher than some fruits (raspberries contain only 5 grams per cup), the cantaloupe contains a range of antioxidants. They include selenium, beta carotene, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and choline. In the US, primary growing states are: California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and southern parts of Indiana.
Source: https://www.myrecipes.com/extracrispy/what-you-think-are-cantaloupes-are-not-actually-cantaloupes
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-low-sugar-fruits#watermelon
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279176#benefits
European or True Cantaloupes
The European Cantaloupe, Cucumis melo cantalupensis, is so named after Cantaluppi, a former papal seat in Rome. The fruit was originally introduced from Armenia. The fruit has an unnetted pale green skin with a harder rind than the American variety, and vein tracks running longitudinally along the outside. It is not commercially grown in the US, although they may be found at farmer’s markets as well as outside the country. Taste wise, the fruit is more subtle in flavor than its American counterpart.
Source: https://www.myrecipes.com/extracrispy/what-you-think-are-cantaloupes-are-not-actually-cantaloupes
