General Information
Santa Claus melons resemble a small football-shaped watermelon. Its flesh is pale green to white in color and has a succulent texture with a mildly sweet flavor. The color of its hard shell will be varying shades of green and yellow depending upon variety. Typically the brighter the yellow of the melon rind, the riper and sweeter it is. Its exterior skin is wrinkled, a distinguishing feature of the Santa Claus melon. Its fragrance is subtle as a result of its thick skin. Unlike many other melons, it will not release a signifying aroma when ripe. The ripest Santa Claus melon will have a soft blossom end that yields to gentle pressure and its skin will be a vibrant yellow hue.
History
The Santa Claus melon is a casaba type, a variety of melon which is native to Turkey. It is cultivated in South America, Spain, Brazil and in America in California and Arizona. A variety of Santa Claus melon known as Piel de Sapo originated in Spain and on average the country produces 30,000 hectares of the melons annually. The Santa Claus melon thrives in warm climates and like many other winter melons takes longer to reach maturity than most melons, needing a full 110 frost free days on the vine.
