Why does Hami melon taste bitter when eaten?

Hami melon is a variety of muskmelon, an annual creeping or climbing herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, genus Cucumis. It is called Hami melon because the kind produced in Hami is the most famous, and it has long enjoyed the reputation of "king of melons." It has a high sugar content and a unique flavor; some have a creamy taste, some carry a lemon fragrance, but all are sweet as honey and strikingly aromatic. Now let us take a look at why Hami melon is bitter!

Why is Hami melon bitter?

Like other melons, Hami melon may develop some specially bitter melons, especially near the stem end, and it is also possible that the Hami melon is not fully ripe or was artificially ripened. Generally speaking, the "fruit-setting" process of all kinds of muskmelons can be divided into two types: natural pollination and human intervention. However, when abnormal environmental conditions occur, manual intervention on fruits and vegetables is needed, such as using certain plant hormones to make them ripen quickly. If manual intervention is not carried out with scientific application of the agents, a situation can arise in which the outside looks ripe while the inside is not. Melons that have been "forced to ripen" do not accumulate enough sugar, causing the flesh to have a slight bitterness.

When do Hami melons ripen?

In a natural environment, the normal ripening season for Hami melons is July to September, but through modern cultivation techniques that control the growth cycle of Hami melons, they can come on the market as early as around May, and at the latest they can ripen after October. At the same time, according to ripening period, Hami melons are divided into early-ripening melons, summer melons (mid-season), winter melons (late-ripening) and other variety groups. Different varieties of melon also differ in shape, color and skin pattern. Common ones include Hongxincui, Heimao Mimi Jigan, Paotaihong, Tiepi, Qingmapi, Wangwen Xiangli, Hami Jiageda, Xiaoqingpi, Baipi and so on.

How should Hami melons be selected to get a good one?

1. Place of origin: The place of origin of a Hami melon directly affects the quality and taste of the melon, so be sure to choose Hami melons produced in **, especially those from Shanshan County and Hami City; melons from other areas such as Kashgar and Jiashi are also very good.

2. Melon skin: The skin of a Hami melon is striped. When selecting, mainly check whether there are any insect holes or cracks. The more lines and the uglier it looks, the tastier it is, while those with a good appearance, pretty and without scars are often unripe.

3. Color: Hami melons come in bright yellow and also deep yellow. Those with a deep color feel as if they have had more sunshine and will be sweeter, so you can choose deep yellow ones, because relatively speaking they are a little sweeter than light-colored ones.

4. Fruit stalk: When a netted Hami melon is ripe, the fruit stalk at the rear end of the melon is slightly sunken, smooth, and densely covered with netting. When a non-netted or semi-netted Hami melon is ripe, the fruit stalk at the rear end becomes bright in color, with obvious mottling, all fuzz shed, a tough surface, and a smooth feel.

5. Fragrance: A melon with moderate ripeness gives off a rich fragrance outside the skin. Those with no fragrance or a faint fragrance are of poorer ripeness. You can choose a less ripe one as needed, and after taking it home and putting it in the refrigerator for one or two days, once ripe, the aroma will be rich.

6. Hardness: When selecting a Hami melon, you can feel it with your hand and press the body of the melon. A melon with good ripeness is firm yet slightly soft; one that is too hard is unripe, while one that is too soft is overripe.

7. Weight: If a Hami melon is too heavy, it is very likely unripe; if it is too light, it lacks moisture. When selecting, you can weigh it in your hand; a slightly heavier Hami melon is generally very sweet.

8. Tail end: If you want to know whether a Hami melon is fresh or not, you only need to look at the tail end of the Hami melon, the side with the vine. If the vine is still green, then it was picked not long ago; if the color is too green, it is quite likely unripe.

9. Shape: Hami melons come in many shapes; common ones include long ones and very round ones. Generally speaking, long ones are more juicy, while round ones are sweeter.