Common melon belongs to the Pumpkin family, and it belongs to the genus Cucumber. It began to grow several thousand years ago, when the fruits were not yet as large and sweet as those of modern varieties. Despite this, many still argue over how to call this agricultural crop: a vegetable, a fruit, or maybe a berry?
History of melon
For the first time Egyptians mentioned the melon, depicting its fruits in their drawings. The age of such images is about 5-6 thousand years. To determine the homeland of this culture, you should pay attention to those regions where you can find the largest number of related forms of the modern fetus. This plant is most suitable for growing in areas of northern Africa and north-west India.
Familiarize yourself with the rules of planting and melon care.
In the natural environment, no direct relatives of modern melon varieties could be detected. There are areas where you can see semi-cultural and wild representatives of this genus, which outwardly are much smaller than the usual melons and taste more like cucumbers, since they contain quite a bit of sugar. 
Scientists are of the opinion that the birthplace of the fetus should be called those areas where the melon grew in the form that is known today. These regions include Afghanistan, Iran, as well as Central and Small Asia - countries that are adjacent to Africa and India. It was here that the inhabitants for many hundreds of years cultivated a melon and grow it there until the present time. Today we know at least 113 local varieties that are quite rare, and about 38 regional. In our country, samples of this tasty and juicy fruit were brought from India in 1926.
Did you know? In the Guinness Book of Records was recorded melon, which weighed 118 pounds. Raised record in the United States in 1985. True, in 2009 the media reported that a resident of Australia had grown a melon weighing 447.5 kg, so the previous record was broken with a bang.
One fruit - 2 points of view
Many are still interested in the question: how to properly call this exotic culture - a vegetable or a fruit, and maybe a berry? Usually, people are used to calling fruits those fruits that have a sweet taste and can be used to make sweet salads, desserts and pastries. Vegetables, in the general sense, are those fruits whose taste does not have sweetness. But does this theory work in the case of melon?
Melon can be consumed not only raw, but also to make from it blanks for the winter.
Culinary point of view
From the point of view of cooking fruit is to call those fruits that are suitable for human consumption and grow on trees or shrubs. If you follow this statement, the melon fruit can not be called. 
Fruits that are suitable for food, but grow in the form of grass, are called vegetables. The connection of the melon with such cultures is generally confirmed, because its closest relative is cucumber. Cooks often call melon a dessert vegetable, thus explaining its sweetish aroma and rich taste. At the same time, in Japan, for example, they learned to grow varieties whose fruits contain little sugar, they are used as vegetables.
The hybrid obtained by crossing cucumber and melon is called cucumber.
Berries are usually called juicy fruits of medium size, which are grown on bushes and trees. And in this case, despite the large size that is not typical for berries, melon fruits are attributed to them.
It is believed that such large sizes of melons were obtained as a result of human intervention in the process of growing crops. Moreover, in our natural environment even today one can find a melon, the fruits of which are very small - not more than the usual plum. And many people are inclined to believe that the fruits of this culture were just such in their original form, until a person applied their hands to them. 
But while melon can not be called an ordinary berry. Fruits are called pumpkins or falseheads. The main features that distinguish this crop are the presence of a large number of seeds, a juicy pericarp, and a dense and thick skin.
Point of view nerds
As for botany, the “vegetables” can be called both leaves and stems (for example, spinach or ginger), and root crops (carrots) and even flower buds (cauliflower).
Also, the fruit can be referred to as a vegetable, by which they mean a part of the plant culture, which is formed from a flower and is a kind of storage place for seeds. This pod, nut, box, grain and so forth.
Among the juicy fruits can be noted berry, stone fruit, apple and pumpkin. That is, if we expand this botanical definition, we can come to the conclusion that the vegetable is the succulent part of the plant, suitable for eating as a food. These are roots and shoots, leaves and bulbs, even inflorescences. And given that pumpkin fruits are melons, in botany's opinion, it may be called a vegetable. 
Fruit, from the point of view of botany, is considered to be fruits that are suitable for human consumption, are formed from the ovary, most often are angiosperms and grow on a shrub or tree. They are also divided into several large groups, which include dry fruits (peas, walnuts), with large bones and juicy flesh (plum, peach) and with juicy flesh and seeds (cucumber, orange, apple, melon). It turns out that the melon simultaneously falls into both categories, becoming a representative of both vegetables and fruits. That is why opinions on this matter still differ.
To summarize: fruit, berry or vegetable
If it is difficult to decide between fruits and vegetables, what can be said about the berries? Here the question is even more complicated, because according to the botanical definition, a melon is indeed also considered a berry, although outwardly this fruit is completely different from the usual berries.
The reason for this definition lies in the fact that the berry in botany is a fruit that has a juicy flesh, covered with a shell, and there is a bone inside it. It should be formed from the ovary, but it can appear from almost any part of the flower, such as strawberries, formed from receptacle. It is this development that causes the fruit to be called the false berry.
Melon, like cucumber, which is also not just a vegetable, is very similar in its general structure to berries. But its fruit is different in that it contains a significantly larger number of seeds inside, and also has a pericarp. From all this it follows that the culture under discussion can nevertheless be attributed to false berries. 
Did you know? Yubari King melon is the most expensive in the world. Grow such fruits only in one of the regions of Japan. It is the most juicy and sweet of the currently known varieties, and its flesh is unusually tender. Interestingly, they sell such fruits only at auctions and they can cost up to 20 thousand dollars. for a couple.
The use and benefits of melon
Those who once tasted a melon will remember its delicate taste and pleasant aroma for a long time. At the same time, not many will pay attention to the fact that to taste it can remotely resemble not only a pumpkin, but also a cucumber. Useful properties of such a product are based on its chemical composition, which is extremely rich in melons. It contains a large amount of antioxidants, as well as immunomodulators. Ascorbic and folic acids, vitamins A, E and almost the entire group B, organic acids and amino acid complex are found among the components. It is also impossible not to recall the presence in the fruits of zinc, phosphorus, manganese, iodine, potassium, iron and other elements.
It is not surprising that people learned to use this storehouse of useful substances in their daily lives not only as tasty food, but also in medicine and cosmetology. 
In folk medicine
Melon is commonly used in traditional medicine, and in China - and in traditional. It is able to cope with inflammatory processes in the urogenital system, to help get rid of edema, to improve the condition with a cold, and also to have a slight laxative effect on the intestines.
Those who periodically use at least a slice of melon, much less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, as well as diseases of the digestive system and kidneys. Among other things Melon is able to stimulate brain activity, because it contains carbohydrates. It also helps to calm the nervous system, relieve irritability and improve sleep.
Desserts that are prepared on the basis of melon pulp are recommended for use by women in position. The fact is that the pulp contains folic acid, which has a beneficial effect on the correct formation of the placenta. Also as a health infusions and decoctions use drinks made on the basis of melon, or use dried and ground seeds of such fruit, dried in a powdered mass. 
Important! In the germinated form, pumpkin seeds cannot be used, since they are not only bitter and tasteless, but also toxic.
In cosmetology
For cosmetic purposes, the plant crop in question is used no less frequently. There are a huge number of natural masks and compositions for wraps based on this fruit, which work well on both skin and hair. The skin becomes smoother and more radiant, rashes and inflammation disappear. Hair after such masks gain shine, and also their structure improves. 
You can also make masks for hands and nails on a melon basis. All you need to do is pour one tablespoon of seeds with boiling water, then boil them for three minutes over low heat. This broth will remain to filter and cool, after which you can use. The skin of the hands will become tender and velvety, and the nails - stronger and healthy.
Find out what diseases in traditional medicine use melon.
In nutrition
Calorie melon in its raw form is only 35 kilocalories per 100 grams. This is a very low figure, so it is suitable for use, even those who are trying to lose weight. But you need to remember that this product can cause an increase in appetite.
There is even a melon-based mono-diet, many girls practice melon fasting days or include this fruit in the diet of fruit and berry diets. But you should not get carried away with dried melon: 100 grams of the product contain 341 kilocalories.
Important! Despite the many positive qualities, use the melon as the main ingredient in the diet is allowed no longer than 3 days.
In cooking
Melon is eaten not only raw, but also dried and dried. It is also used as an ingredient for various salads, for example, quite interesting this product is combined with cheese. Among other things, from such a tasty and juicy fruit, many people like to cook marmalades, jams and preserves. It is also part of a variety of delicious cocktails - both non-alcoholic and with alcohol.
Check out the best melons for your table.
When using such a delicacy in raw form, you need to remember that you do not need to cool it before serving. The fruit must be at room temperature. Initially, it should be peeled and peeled, and then cut into portions.
We advise you to learn how to make dried melon at home.
This product has gained extraordinary popularity among residents of many countries, which is not surprising, because the taste characteristics of this fruit do not leave indifferent. And it can rightly be called a storehouse of vitamins. The key to good health, long-term youth and beauty lies in the use of melons in moderation.
