By thedihedral Posted on

V5 (5 Things 1 Topic)

Recently I had a tooth pulled and a cadaver bone implanted into my jaw to serve as the foundation of a future tooth implant.  I imagined that the bone came from a really nice lady named June, and that she would be quite happy to know that her bone is helping me heal.  I like to think that June and I would have been friends, I like to think that she would have enjoyed rock climbing.

It’s not a terrible procedure, but there is some pain and swelling which pushed me to engage in creative eating styles and diet.  At first it was yogurt and Jell-O, then on to soft fruits like banana and muskmelon.  I’m pretty much back to normal, so no need to go over the domino effect of my diet while healing because I’d like to hit the brakes at muskmelon.

I grew up in a family that calls it muskmelon, but you may know it as cantaloupe.  I’ve heard people call it sugar-melon, and sweet melon, and Persian melon, and Santa Clause melon.  Mostly I’ve heard cantaloupe though.

Growing up, I didn’t like muskmelon at all.  I was confused about how muskmelon and watermelon could even be in the same family.  Watermelon is pink and delicious while muskmelon is orange.  I grew to tolerate it in fruit salads and smoothies, but it never achieved anything close to crave-worthy status.

Then I had this tooth pulled and I have been gorging muskmelon ever since.  The whole thing happened pretty quickly, and it got me wondering about muskmelon, taste buds, and why all the sudden they seem to get along!

Here are 5 things about muskmelon.

  1. So, lets settle this whole muskmelon/cantaloupe nomenclature thing right now.  Cucumis Melo, more commonly known as muskmelon is actually part of the gourd family. It’s related to plants like squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and the star of the show…watermelon.  Muskmelon comes in several varieties including cantaloupe.  Cantaloupe refers specifically to two varieties of muskmelon, namely the North American cantaloupe (C. melo var. reticulatus) and the European cantaloupe (C. melo var. cantalupensis).  Cantaloupe turns out to be a species of muskmelon, and so technically both names can be used to describe the same fruit/gourd/plant thing in question.  However, muskmelon being more general would not accurately describe what is most commonly referred to as cantaloupe.  Calling a cantaloupe a muskmelon would be similar to calling a dog an animal.  A dog is an animal but telling someone that you suffered an animal bite rather than telling them that a dog bit you is confusingly vague.  And, just like all dogs are animals, but not all animals are dog, all cantaloupes are muskmelons, but not all muskmelons are cantaloupes.  Included in the class of muskmelon (beyond the cantaloupe varieties) are the honeydew melon, the Persian melon, and the Santa Clause melon.  Telling someone that you are enjoying a muskmelon, leaves open the possibility that you are eating any number of melon species.
  2. So, now that we are all clear on the Cantaloupe, let’s check out the details.  One cup of diced cantaloupe contains the following nutrients:
    1. Calories: 53, Carbs: 13 grams, Fiber: 2 grams, Protein: 1 gram, Vitamin C: 64% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI), Vitamin A: 29% of the RDI, Potassium: 9% of the RDI, Folate: 8% of the RDI, Niacin: 7% of the RDI, Vitamin B6: 7% of the RDI, Magnesium: 5% of the RDI, Thiamine: 5% of the RDI, Vitamin K: 3% of the RDI
  3. Cantaloupe is nutrient-dense (low calories/high nutrients) with a high water content (90% water by weight).  Being high in both vitamin A and C, cantaloupe has the benefit of natural immune support.  It is relatively high in fiber which helps with digestion, and it’s packed with antioxidants which can help with heart disease prevention and serve as anti-inflammatories.  I don’t want to say it’s the perfect snack, but if you’re out at the crag, and want a healthy treat to help you feel full between sends, cantaloupe is a real game changer.
  4. I didn’t like cantaloupe, but now I do.  Not only do I like the healthy aspects, but I also enjoy the flavor.  Sometimes the texture sucks though.  I’m not a fan of it being too firm nor too soft.  Luckily,  there is a Goldilocks zone that hits all the high notes.  The problem is that it’s hard to find.  I have no idea how to pick out a cantaloupe.  I usually just feel around until the there is an emotional connection and just go for it.  I would be just as successful using a crystal pendulum to help me select the perfect cantaloupe, because I seriously have no idea what I’m doing.  Google suggested the following: The best way to pick a cantaloupe is by smell. The fruit should have a sweet, slightly musky scent. A good cantaloupe feels heavy for its size, has a rind that resembles raised netting, and has a stem end that yields slightly when pressed with your thumb.  So, there you go…look, smell, and feel.  I’m kind of surprised they didn’t recommend knocking and listening, before cutting it open and tasting it.  I guess using 3 of 5 senses should provide some useful cantaloupe data.  I’m pretty new to the cantaloupe game, so I don’t quite have a reference point for “sweet, slightly musky scent”, but I’ll start paying attention and hopefully it pays dividends when it comes to making a proper selection.
  5. As previously stated, I didn’t like cantaloupe but now I do.  How can this be?  Taste buds are interesting.  Did you know that each taste bud has between 50 and 150 taste receptor cells?  Did you know that while most taste buds are on the tongue, there are also taste buds in your throat and on the roof of your mouth?  Also, our taste buds decrease as we age, meaning that our perception of taste changes throughout our lives.  Food that we loved as a child, may lose some luster as we get older.  The reverse of that also holds true, something that we didn’t enjoy as a kid may be much more appealing as an adult.  So, it may be that I have come to a place in my life where my tongue, or more specifically, the taste receptors in my tongue are finally primed to enjoy the flavor of cantaloupe.  And while this diagnosis makes sense, I’m not buying it.  I’m thinking the true reason I’ve been enjoying cantaloupe so much is that I have a brand-new taste bud.  Her name is June, and I recently had a piece of her bone inserted into my mouth.  My guess is that June loved cantaloupe (I’m assuming that June is dead), and her love for cantaloupe was so robust that it vanquished the unrelenting grip of death in order to savor the sweet, musky, piquancy of cantaloupe once more.

From taste buds to taste buddies, from muskmelons to cantaloupes there is an array of information to be gleamed from this unique gourd.  These were five things about cantaloupe.

V5 (5 Things 1 Topic)

Carrot & June

28 Replies to “V5 (5 Things 1 Topic)”

  1. K.L. Hale's avatar
    K.L. Hale says: Reply

    My grandma and folks called it muskmelon, to which Grandma Wilson would then say, “mush melon”. I hope the bone heals—I love the story of June! June is doing you good and I hope it continues. I enjoy cantaloupe—thank you for the history and information!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. sunyamar's avatar
      sunyamar says: Reply

      From implant prep including June you sure took a fun way to aid in the healing process! 🤣🦷👍🏻

      Liked by 2 people

  2. halffastcyclingclub's avatar
    halffastcyclingclub says: Reply

    There is nothing like a good melon. In Spanish, the linguistic confusion is avoided – a muskmelon is melón, while a watermelon is sandia. As for ripeness, I always went for gentle thumb pressure on the blossom end, not the stem end (as well as aroma). It should give a little. If your thumb goes through it: 1) you’re pressing way too hard; 2) your melon is rotten; 3) you owe the store for the melon you just ruined. I was a produce manager for ten years in a previous life.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thedihedral's avatar
      thedihedral says: Reply

      HAHA…that is the best description for how to test a melon. I’ll try that tomorrow at the grocery store, with plenty of respect given to all the folks working in produce!

      Like

  4. Eilene Lyon's avatar
    Eilene Lyon says: Reply

    My husband recently went through that whole extraction, two bone grafts, implant, new tooth thing. I hope he doesn’t give his bone donor a name!!
    I’ve always liked cantaloupe and eat more of it this time of year.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Terry's avatar
    Terry says: Reply

    I love cantaloupe with cottage cheese. The saltiness of the cheese perfectly enhances the melon and it adds good protein. Best wishes for quick healing from your implant. I’m sure “June” was exactly as you imagine her.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Fred's avatar
    Fred (Au Natural) says: Reply

    Not getting the perfect taste/texture is the curse of year-round availability. Most of it is picked slightly green and stored at a fraction of a degree above freezing to slow the ripening process. From there it gets shipped around the world. Mostly luck if you get one at the right stage of ripeness, it doesn’t stay there for long, and it never tastes quite as good as fresh vine ripened. For that you almost have to go to a farmer’s market. Cantaloupe is perfect when it pulls off the vine almost effortlessly.

    When buying a cantaloupe, smell the button where it detached. It should smell exactly how it should taste. You can also think it with a finger. Experience is the only way I know to learn how it should sound. All this comes from growing up in the country with farms and gardens.

    We always called it muskmelon when i was a kid and had never even heard the word cantaloupe until I moved to California.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thedihedral's avatar
      thedihedral says: Reply

      Farmers Market it is Fred, that is a great point, I kind of wish I saw this earlier today, as the local farmers market is closed and I’ll have to wait until next week. I don’t even know what muskmelon season is, so hopefully they are in season! Thanks for the insight!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Fred's avatar
        Fred (Au Natural) says:

        Plant them after last frost. Harvest is anywhere from 2 to 3 months, depending on which variety and weather conditions. You could get two or more crops in warm areas of the US. Then there’s always greenhouse cantaloupe.

        Like

    1. thedihedral's avatar
      thedihedral says: Reply

      Haha…Ward is a great name too! The melon run is still going, although I think melon season is coming to an end, it has been harder and harder to find decent ones!

      Liked by 1 person

      2. thedihedral's avatar
        thedihedral says:

        No way, that is the best! I think everyone’s bone graft should be named after someone from that show. I call it a complete humor WIN!

        Liked by 1 person

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