Canton Round Wax Melon (Benincasa hispida)

Melon Canton Wax Giant (Benincasa hispida)
An ancient cucurbit native to China, cultivated as early as 700 BC. It is known both as Winter Melon and Wax Gourd, but it is in fact completely distinct, by genus and species, from both.

The skin is covered with a natural waxy coating that allows the fruit to be stored for up to 12 months after harvest.

Its long history has produced an extraordinary number of recipes: the very white flesh is candied and used as a filling in sweets, stewed in winter soups, stir-fried, and used as a filling for mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in China.

It can also be eaten immature, like a zucchini; when harvested young and left to wither while hanging, it develops a surprisingly meat-like texture, with an almost spongy core.

The fruit can reach up to 20 kg in weight. The flesh is extremely pale, crisp, and fresh-tasting. The rind ranges from dark to light green and, after harvest, tends to harden further, protecting the fruit.

In the field, the plant has a climbing growth habit, but it can also be grown along the ground. It is highly vigorous and adapts well to all soil types; however, given the size of the fruits, a well-amended soil is recommended to achieve maximum yields, which can reach up to 100 kg per plant. It is poorly tolerant of cold during emergence and early growth stages; transplanting should be done only when temperatures are reliably above 15 °C, in full sun.

Chinese varieties are often underestimated, partly due to the many scams associated with seed distributors from this region. In reality, many varieties now associated with Japan originate from China, and its millennia-old agricultural culture has selected species and products of exceptional quality.