Europe - Cantaloupe melon

At the summer residence of the Popes in Cantalupo, Italian monks developed a variety of melon with a sweet, juicy, orange-coloured flesh which they called “cantalupo”. In the 15th century, the cantaloupe melon was introduced to Provence to enable the Sovereign Pontiffs, established in Avignon at the time, to enjoy their exquisite flavour. Today, there is a variety of the cantaloupe melon with a remarkable resistance to decaying, as compared with the classic varieties. This variety owes its long life to an antioxidant enzyme: superoxide dismutase.

In cosmetics, the extract from this cantaloupe melon helps protect the skin against premature ageing due to the harmful effects of free radicals.