There are really only two kinds of melons in this world, watermelons and muskmelons. Native to Africa, the watermelon is considered the less sophisticated of the two, because it lacks flavor complexity and has a watery texture. In contrast, sweet and fragrant muskmelons have been appreciated for thousands of years by Chinese, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, whose hieroglyphics dating as far back as 2400 B.C. praise honeydews, the original muskmelon, which was thought to have originated in ancient Persia.
Melons belong to the gourd family, as do squash and pumpkins.
Skins can range in color from creamy white to celadon and jade green, with many variations and shades in between. Flesh colors also vary and encompass orange to salmon, gold and lime-green shades. For most of us, honeydew and cantaloupes are the most familiar family members. Named for a castle in Italy, the true cantaloupe, however, is a European melon that is not exported. From the outside, Santa Claus melons, which are long and oval with splotchy green and yellow skins, look like small watermelons.