Melon: A Global History

Edible

by Sylvia Lovegren

Sweet, succulent, cooling, and often with a beguiling floral fragrance, a ripe melon can be one of the most delicious things you sink your teeth into. As Sylvia Lovegren shows in this book, the melon’s complex flavor profile is matched by an equally complex history. Cutting into the melon’s past, she takes us on a whirlwind trip around the world, from the sandy stretches of the Kalahari desert to the ancient kingdom of Ur in Mesopotamia, from the exotic oases of the Silk Road to Jesuit outposts in northern Canada, from slave plantations in Brazil to Japanese farms—where perfect melons are grown in glass boxes and sold at exorbitant prices.
           
Along the way, Lovegren details the impact the melon has had on humankind. Moving from ancient and medieval medical recipes to folk tales, stories, growing contests, and genetics, she explores the diverse ways we have cultivated, enjoyed, and sometimes even feared this fruit. She explores how we have improved modern melons over centuries of breeding, and how some growers and scientists today are trying to preserve and even revive ancient melon strains. Richly illustrated and with a host of ancient, medieval, and modern recipes,  Melon  is a delightful look at the surprising history of one of the world’s most sumptuous fruits.  

Genres: History, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Nature

152 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2016

Reviews

[Nefertari · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best in the series. While some Edible books have a tendency to get dragged down into detail, this book keeps its eye on each chapter's contribution and a focus in each chapter. You get a sense of the mystique that melons play in all cultures, not just every fable or cultural artifact where a melon is discussed. The author also doesn't shy away from places in American history where melons become a sign of racist attitudes, or become a byword for poison.

Only thing I missed? A mention of Gallagher's melon-smashing routines.

[Ari Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of like a really long Wikipedia article, there's no story or thread she's tracing in the history of melons. But it's still pretty interesting. Would not recommend reading in the winter, though, when the subject is unavailable...

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does a better job than most Edible books of giving truly global coverage. That does mean that everything is a bit brief, though.