Never too young for melons? (Melons and Morals)

And yet another day in the cold, lonely world beyond melons. In any case, today's article deals with the impact of the WF in the younger generation. The matter seems to have been considered carefully, and some of our most brilliant melonites, blinded by their own knowledge, have contrived a means to interest youngsters in our honoured tradition of melon observance. But how fair is to channel their attention thus? Do not be tricked by the innocent, neutral appearance of the items we have selected as illustrations, this is about power and gaining ascendancy over future melons. This is no trivial matter as you may imagine. Search your heart and ask yourself - can you really trust that Eeyore in a Gourd costume?

Eeyore is actually not the only character from A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh used as a cunning ply in this relentless quest for power. Pooh himself has been brought into this whirlwind of melon power and ambition, this time in the shape of a luscious cantaloupe (maybe a Galia?).

This phenomenon is by no means restricted to Western cultures and children's favourites such as Sanrio's Nyanko and Monchichi have been sighted sporting the fateful apparel around Asia- yet again a Canteloupe!

I would like to utter a few words of warning and a request to all my fellow melonites. We all want the very best for those following our footsteps down the windy path towards melonhood, but this is a mission the melonite has to accept of his/her own free will, and all such cunning ruses will only obstruct the way and obscure their clear sight. Make sure your children are aware of the multiple choices in melonhood and their consequences, but please do not constrain their tender minds into an unique definition of fruit, however wise you believe your choice to be. You cannot choose another's path, it is enough for you to follow yours.
Do never forget your quest for melonhood should liberate rather than burden you. My best wishes.

Moulding the melon

Good morning, almost afternoon, dear fellow melonites. This time we are travelling all the way to Asia again. I am afraid I can't provide you with many details about the following. The author of the website I found them in has not that much information about them himself. He first believed them to be Chinese, but apparently a visitor corrected him thus:

I received an e-mail from an "Eric Fong" who informed me that the carvings are actually Japanese, and that the writing on the melons is Japanese.

So Japanese it is then. It is mainly that delicious relative of our WF, the watermelon, but you can also see some nice works using the noble, fruity stuff our dreams are made of.

Another beautiful example is a dragon carved in the juicy flesh of the scarlet relative. Behold and wonder:

Refer to the website aforementioned for further examples. Have a nice day.

Ye Olde Melon

Good afternoon. Another bright day in the quest for ultimate truth in the vasts territories of Melondom. This time your humble servant, and in spite of its being a Sunday, therefore a day to rest from everyday travail, brings you a sublime instance of melonhood from the past.

This is the "Princess Melon Bombe on an ice border surrounded by garnishing ices", found on the interesting website Historic Food, in their Ices section. On further research, we find the following description:

This is another beautiful ice pudding from the nineteenth century. It is a Princess Melon Bombe, a delicious apple water ice moulded into a melon and filled with a rich vanilla and maraschino ice cream. It is surrounded by small garnishing ices and again decorated with maidenhair fern.

Victorian, then. Let it be a proof of the long time prestige enjoyed by our WF.
Have a nice Sunday, ye all merry melon mavens.

WF and confectionery (Melon and the Market I)

Melons are indeed a source of inspiration for many other arts and disciplines, as the present post shall attempt to prove. The following items have been sighted and longed for by yours truly at The Japan Connection. They had manga, they had anime, with such excellent judgement it was only to be expected they'd pay the WF due regard. Count me in if they ever make it to Europe!

The above is Melon Chewing Candy. Well, I say, what a wonderful idea. I am almost sure we have melon hard sweets in Spain (I'll make sure to find some and keep you posted on the subject), but what better for the dentally challenged than some chewy, soft, delicious melon sweets!

Indeed, Melon Pockys! I am sure we do have chocolate ones in Spain (I am far from expressing dislike, I'm also a declared chocoholic), but melon? Oh what a pleasure it would be. It is to be regretted a Mediterranean country like Spain does not pay sufficient attention to the numerous properties of such a typical, summer fruit as our beloved melon.

And my favourite of the lot! Chocolate AND melon! What else do I need to add?

The Art of the Melon I

So what better start for this our little homage to the Wondrous Fruit (WF) than with some art? Art with capital letters, mind you.
Today, I am honoured to present you with two delightful still-lifes by Impressionists Edouard Manet and Claude Oscar Monet.
The painting above is Manet's Still Life with Melon and Peaches (1866, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA).
Below [we are afraid to acknowledge the author of these lines is still not particularly skillful with html, and has fretted over the position of the picture for too long to care any longer] we have Monet's Still Life with Melon, slightly later in time (1872, Fundaçao Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal) and presenting a similar emphasis on peaches and grapes in spite of their absence from the work's title.

Alas, such exquisite beauty! A source of consolation for the long yearly absence of the WF *sigh*

My first post and a disclaimer

My first post and a disclaimer:

Melons, melon, watermelon, cucurbitaceae, etc, none of these names do (obviously) belong to me. This blog does not even claim any sort of erudition in the sacred mysteries of melonhood, and is but an act of good will and friendship towards all other creatures who wonder at the significant presence of the Round Wonder in our world. To my fellow melon devotees: be welcome, this is your blog. Recipes, art, quotes, anything melon related will find its place here. All your suggestions and contributions will be warmly welcome.
For specific knowledge on the wondrous fruit, please refer to the Links section.