Santa Claus Melon - Real-Time Scanned

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The Santa Claus melon, sometimes known as Christmas melon or piel de sapo, is a variety of melon (family Cucurbitaceae, Cucumis melo, Inodorus group) that grows to about a foot in length and is oval in shape. It has a thick, green-striped outer rind and pale green to white inner flesh with a mild melon flavour and sweetness close to honeydew melons. The attractive green and gold-to-bright yellow-striped Santa Claus melon somewhat resembles a small watermelon. This melon was named in English as recognition of its long keeping qualities, i.e., 'until Christmas'. This melon is widely available in the Northern Hemisphere. Grown in California and Arizona, they are harvested from June through October. During the winter, Santa Claus melons are imported from South America. They are grown in Brazil and Central America to supply Europe during autumn, winter, and spring. The piel de sapo originated in Spain, where it is widely grown. La Mancha is the main region in Spain producing this type. Another important growing area is Murcia that has specialized in growing early crops.