The oriental melon (''Cucumis melo'' Makuwa Group), is a group of ''

Cucumis melo ''Cucumis melo'', also known as melon, is a species of ''Cucumis'' that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. The fruit is a pepo. The flesh is either sweet or bland, with or without a musky aroma, and the rind can be smooth (such as ...

'' cultivars that is cultivated in

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

studies tracing the genetic lineage of the plant suggest that it may have originated in eastern

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, having then spread to China over the

Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...

, from which it was introduced to Korea and Japan. Its flavour has been described as a cross between a

honeydew melon The honeydew melon is one of the two main cultivar types in ''Cucumis melo'' Inodorus Group. It is characterized by the smooth rind and lack of musky odor. The other main type in the Inodorus Group is the wrinkle-rind casaba melon. Character ...

and a

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

. It is noticeably less sweet than Western varieties of melon, and consists of about 90% water. The fruits are commonly eaten fresh; with its thin rind and small seeds, the melon can be eaten whole.

Background

In China, Oriental melon is locally called ''xiāng guā'' (香瓜, "fragrant melon"). It was called ''tián guā'' (甜瓜, "sweet melon"), ''gān guā'' (甘瓜, "sweet melon") or ''guǒ guā'' (果瓜, "fruit melon") in ancient times. However, the latter two names are seldom in use now, and ''tián guā'' (甜瓜) has become the name of the species ''Cucumis melo'', thereby also referring to other types of melon such as

cantaloupe The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...

and honeydew. The Korean name ''chamoe'' ( ) is a composite of words: ''cham'' meaning "true" or "real" and ''oe'' meaning "cucumber (melon)". It is thought that the oriental melon was introduced to Korea through China during the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

. The fruit has long enjoyed popularity in Korea, where it is considered the

representative Representative may refer to: Politics *Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people *House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities *Legislator, someon ...

fruit of summer. Oriental melons are commonly made into a side dish, called ''chamoe-

jangajji ''Jangajji'' () or pickled vegetables is a type of ''banchan'' (side dish) made by pickling vegetables. * Unlike kimchi, ''jangajji'' is non-fermented vegetables, usually pickled in soy sauce, soybean paste, or chili paste. ''Jangajji'' dishe ...

'', whereby they are pickled with spices. In 2017, of land was used for their cultivation, yielding about of melons.

Seongju County Seongju County (''Seongju-gun'') is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. This largely agricultural area is located immediately west of the metropolitan city of Daegu. The capital of the county is the town of Seongju. Lotte Skyhill ...

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

is famous as the centre of oriental melon cultivation in Korea, with farms in the area comprising 70% of total production in the country. In Japanese, they are called ''makuwa uri'' ( ). Oriental melon seeds have been found in

Jōmon period The is the time in Japanese history, traditionally dated between 6,000–300 BCE, during which Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a c ...

archaeological sites, attesting to the long history of cultivation in Japan. The name ''makuwa uri'' is said to derive from the village of Makuwa, in the ancient province of

Mino Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * Mi ...

(now part of

Motosu, Gifu Usuzumizakura is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,453 in 12, 464 households, and a population density of 390 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Motosu is located in western Gif ...

), which became known for its high-quality Oriental melons in the 2nd century AD. They were once widely eaten in Japan, having been so common that the general word , meaning gourd or melon, came to refer specifically to the Oriental melon. Starting in 1925, when the first western melon cultivars were introduced, the Oriental melon began to fall out of favour among wealthy consumers, and by the late 20th century came to be thought of as a peasant food. It is commonly used as an offering during the

Bon Festival or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people retu ...

, with the period around the festival considered to be the best time to harvest them (''

shun Shun may refer to one of the following: *To shun, which means avoiding association with an individual or group * Shun (given name), a masculine Japanese given name *Seasonality in Japanese cuisine (''shun'', 旬) Emperor Shun * Emperor Shun (� ...

'', 旬). Unripe melons are often made into various kinds of ''

tsukemono are Japanese preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran). They are served with rice as an ''okazu'' (side dish), with drinks as an '' otsumami'' (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a ...

'' (pickles). The plant was first classified as "''Cucumis melo'' L.

var. In botanical nomenclature, variety (abbreviated var.; in la, varietas) is a taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies, but above that of form. As such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name. It is sometimes recommended that the ...

''makuwa''" in 1928 by Japanese botanist

Tomitaro Makino image:Makino Tomitaro.jpg, 200px, Tomitaro Makino was a pioneer Japanese botanist noted for his taxonomic work. He has been called "Father of Japanese Botany". He was one of the first Japanese botanists to work extensively on classifying Japane ...

. However, it is now usually treated as a

cultivar group A Group (previously cultivar-groupInternational Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, 4th edition (1969), 5th edition (1980) and 6th edition (1995)) is a formal category in the ''International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants'' ('' ...

, ''Cucumis melo'' Makuwa Group. Makino's proposed name remains recognised as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

Ecology and botany

The oriental melon is a cool sub-temperate crop, growing best with day temperatures between and night temperatures between . It requires good sunlight and rich, well-drained, friable, and moisture-retaining soil. It is drought tolerant, but requires sufficient water for optimal growth. The plant, a cucurbit, is an

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

that branches and trails. The stem is angular and hirsute (hairy) and in diameter. The leaves are

reniform Reniform is an adjective meaning "kidney-shaped" and may specifically refer to: * Reniform leaf The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single ...

(kidney-shaped) with 5-7 lobes. It is

andromonoecious Andromonoecy is a breeding system of plant species in which male and hermaphrodite flowers are on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside monoecy, gynomonoecy and trimonoecy. Andromonoecy is frequent among genera with zygomorphi ...

(both bisexual and male flowers on same plant) with yellow flowers. File:Growing Korean melons 1 Seeds.jpg, Seeds File:Growing Korean melons 4 Seedlings.jpg, Seedlings (6 days) File:Growing Korean melons 5 Young plants.jpg, Young plants (12 days) File:Cucumis melo var. makuwa 01.jpg, Unripe melons File:Korean melons 1.jpg, Ripe melons File:Cucumis melo var. makuwa 02.jpg, Flowers File:Cucumis melo var. makuwa 03.jpg, Leaves File:Korean melon1.jpg, Fruit File:Korean melon transverse.jpg, Transverse Section File:Korean melon longitudinal.jpg, Longitudinal Section

Varieties

There are many varieties of oriental melon. The most well-known variety is called in Japanese and ''euncheon-chamoe'' () in Korean. ''Euncheon'' is the Korean reading of the

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...

used in the Japanese name. This type of melon was developed in

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

, Japan, where it is now recognised as a "traditional vegetable". It was introduced into Korea in 1957, rapidly became the dominant commercial variety there, and its descendants remain so today. Varieties developed from the ''euncheon'' include: ''sin-euncheon'' ('new euncheon'), developed in the 1970s, and ''geumssaragi-euncheon'' (, 'gold dust euncheon'), developed in 1984, which is now dominant. It is yellow in colour, typically about long, and weighs about . It is smooth and oblong, with white stripes that run the length of the fruit. It has white flesh that is juicy and sweet, and is filled with small white seeds. Other cultivars are coloured green and ivory, and vary from spherical to oblong in shape. There are two major

landrace A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation ...

s of ''chamoe'' in Korea: ''sunghwan-chamoe'' (), also known as ''gaeguri-chamoe'' (, 'frog ''chamoe), and ''Gotgam-chamoe'' (). The ''sunghwan-chamoe'' is sometimes classified under another cultivar group, ''Cucumis melo'' Chinensis Group. The ''gotgam-chamoe'' is particularly unique, having the aroma of a

dried persimmon Dried persimmon is a type of traditional dried fruit snack in East Asia. Known as ''shìbǐng'' () in Chinese, ''hoshigaki'' () in Japanese, and ''gotgam'' () in Korean, it is traditionally made in the winter, by air drying Oriental persimmon. I ...

(called ''gotgam'' in Korean), from which it takes its name. These two landraces contain more nutrients and have greater

disease resistance Disease resistance is the ability to prevent or reduce the presence of diseases in otherwise susceptible hosts. It can arise from genetic or environmental factors, such as incomplete penetrance. Disease tolerance is different as it is the ability o ...

than other varieties. A variety called the is recognised by the government of

Nara Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama P ...

as a , a distinction indicating its importance in that region's agricultural and culinary tradition. It has golden skin, white flesh, and usually weighs about . In 1955, Golden Makuwa comprised 85.6% of all melons (western and oriental) sold at the

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

Central Wholesale Market. Another variety, the , is spherical, has a greenish-yellow skin, green flesh, and usually weighs about . In 1962, the Sakata Seed Company crossbred this with the

Charentais melon A Charentais melon is a type of French cantaloupe, ''Cucumis melo'' var. ''cantalupensis''. It is a small variety of melon, around the size of a softball. It has flesh similar to most cantaloupes, but with a distinct and more intense aroma, and ...

, a type of European cantaloupe, to produce the , which quickly became the dominant commercial melon variety in Japan. ''Prince'' melons weigh between , have a greyish-white skin, and orange flesh. The development of sweeter and easier to produce varieties of hybrid melon, most notably the ''Prince'', led to a rapid decline in cultivation of oriental melons in Japan. File:銀泉まくわうり.jpg, ''Ginsen–makuwa'' from Japan File:개구리참외.jpg, ''Gaeguri-chamoe'' (frog ''chamoe'') from Korea File:ニューメロン.jpg, ''New Melon'' from Japan File:Ougon-makuwa.JPG, ''Ōgon-makuwa'' (golden ''makuwa'') from Japan File:사과참외 2.jpg, ''Sagwa-chamoe'' (apple ''chamoe'') from Korea

Cultural significance

South Korea National Treasure numbers 94 and 114 are both formed in the shape of an oriental melon. The annual Yeoju Geumsa Oriental Melon Festival (여주 금사참외축제) is held once a year, and visitors can sample the melons there. There is an Oriental Melon Ecology Centre in

, designed to educate the public regarding the cultivation and other aspects of the fruit. Included in a collection of drawings of Japanese ''

yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. The word is composed of the kanji for "attractive; calamity" and "apparition; mystery; suspicious." are also referred to as , or . Despite often being translated as suc ...

'' by 17th century artist

Yosa Buson was a Japanese poet and painter of the Edo period. Along with Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa, Buson is considered among the greatest poets of the Edo Period. He is also known for completing haiga as a style of art, working with haibun prose ...

is a depiction of an . A sign that promotes 'the birthplace of the oriental melon' was erected at

Kitagata-Makuwa Station is a railway station in the city of Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Tarumi Railway. Lines Kitagata-Makuwa Station is a station on the Tarumi Line, and is located 10.8 rail kilometers from the terminus ...

in the city of

Motosu Usuzumizakura is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,453 in 12, 464 households, and a population density of 390 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Motosu is located in western Gifu ...

, Japan, the site of the former village of Makuwa. File:Musk melons on vine (Makuwauri).jpg, Print of oriental melons on the vine by

Shibata Zeshin was a Japanese lacquer painter and print artist of the late Edo period and early Meiji era. He has been called "Japan's greatest lacquerer", but his reputation as painter and print artist is more complex: In Japan, he is known as both t ...

File:청자 참외모양 병 02.jpg, Melon-shaped

Celadon ''Celadon'' () is a term for pottery denoting both wares glazed in the jade green celadon color, also known as greenware or "green ware" (the term specialists now tend to use), and a type of transparent glaze, often with small cracks, that was ...

Bottle from

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

(918–1392), at the

National Museum of Korea The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea and is the cultural organization that represents Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research a ...

File:청자 상감모란국화문 참외모양 병.jpg, Melon-shaped Celadon Bottle with Inlaid Peony and Chrysanthemum Design from

, at the National Museum of Korea File:Korea-Goryeo celadon-06.jpg, Melon-shaped Celadon Kettle from Goryeo, at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

File:청자 양각 대나무 마디 무늬 참외 모양 주전자 고려-靑磁陽刻竹節文瓜形注子高麗-Melon-shaped ewer with bamboo decoration MET h1 1996.471.jpg, Melon-shaped Celadon Kettle from Goryeo, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art File:Box in the Form of a Melon LACMA M.2000.15.145a-b.jpg, Melon-shaped

lacquerware Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. Lacquerware includes small or large containers, tableware, a variety of small objects carried by people, and larger objects such as furniture and even coffins painted with lacquer. Befor ...

from

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

, at the

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...

File:Buson Oriental Melon.jpg, 18th century drawing by

of an "oriental melon monster". File:Korea-Yecheon County-Korean melon Tower at Wolpori-01.jpg, Oriental melon Tower in

Yecheon Yecheon County is a county in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea. It is 661 km2 in area, and in 2004 had a population of 52,311. It has lost over 2/3 of its inhabitants since the mid-1960s. It consists of twelve administrative d ...

, Korea File:Melonpan Kure.JPG, The original Japanese

melonpan A (also known as melon pan, melon bun or melon bread) is a type of sweet bun originating from and popular in Japan, as well as in Taiwan and China. They are made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appea ...

was produced in the shape of an oriental melon.

Gallery

File:Korea-Chamoe-Oriental melon-01.jpg, Oriental melon stall in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

File:Sold ougon-makuwa.JPG, Golden Makuwa melons on sale in Japan File:Chamoe Jangajji.jpg, ''Chamoe-

'' sold at

Namdaemun Market Namdaemun Market is a large traditional market in Seoul, South Korea. The market is located next to Namdaemun, the "Great South Gate," which was the main southern gate to the old city.

References