Korean Melons

Walking through the markets in town I often see fruits and vegetables that may look a little odd but they are still familiar.  There is one fruit, however, that I see in every market that doesn't look like anything I've seen before.  I was in E-Mart yesterday and saw a large selection of this fruit that was actually labeled in English.  Mystery solved - it's a Yellow Melon.  I bought a few to bring home, research, photograph, and taste.

Yellow Melons are called Korean Melons when they are exported from Korea to other countries.  This melon is a small, oval shaped fruit that is dark yellow with evenly-spaced lighter stripes running from tip to tip.  They are now grown in some of the States such as Hawaii and California but are still primarily found in Asian markets.

Inside, the white flesh and seed placement look similar to a honeydew or cantaloupe melon.  The seeds themselves resemble large sesame seeds.  I've read that some people eat the seeds and the pulp surrounding them but I decided against that and scooped the center out.  I used a vegetable peeler to take the rind off and then sliced it into strips.  This melon is crunchy and watery with a fairly sweet taste most similar to honeydew melon.

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"From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!"

-Dr. Seuss