Buying a cantaloupe or honeydew melon these days is like playing Russian Roulette. You might get a good one and you might not. It’s impossible to know until you slice the thing. My experience is that you’ll get about half that are decent and half that aren’t. I’ve always insisted I’d pay more for a sure thing.
Wandering through Sam’s the other day, I came across a rare find. A delicious cantaloupe, the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. It was a Charentais Cantaloupe, two actually. They came in a mesh bag, packaged together. They are smaller than an average cantaloupe, a bit larger than a grapefruit, but they were spectacular. They cost about $6 for the two, a steal in my opinion.
The Charentais Cantaaloupes come from France. The variety is considered by many epicures to be the best melon ever produced. The exterior is a creamy grey with slightly green ribs. The flesh is bright orange like a regular, ripe cantaloupe. The melon is high in sugar content and very fragrant. One whiff and you know you have a ripe, delicious melon. For what it’s worth, the melons are loaded with beta-carotenes, powerful anti-oxidants beneficial to the brain, skin, lungs and eyes.
But most of all, they are the best tasting melons you will ever put in your mouth.,
Like many imports, they are not always available, but if you ever see any at Sam’s, Costco or any other grocery store, buy them.