Melon

Uzbekistan's sweet pride

Uzbek melons are considered the sweetest in the world! There are more than 100 varieties: 'Gurvak', 'Amiri', 'Torpedo', and 'Karabash' which keeps until winter. Hot sun and dry air make the melon sugary. Long ago melons were carried from Tashkent to Moscow in lead boxes packed with ice — as gifts for tsars. A melon is 90% water, yet very sweet.

The melon (Cucumis melo) of the gourd family originates in Africa and South-West Asia; Central Asia is a secondary centre of origin, growing it for over 2,000 years and producing the most varieties (Vavilov). Uzbek melons are famous for sugar content (15–18% Brix): the sharply continental climate gives hot days, cool nights and little rain. Varieties: summer (Gurvak, Amiri), autumn and winter (Karabash, Bekhi — stored 5 months). Ibn Sina described the melon as medicine in his 'Canon of Medicine'. Rich in vitamin C, potassium and folate. Khorezm, Bukhara and Syrdarya are the main regions, with over 1 million tonnes a year, exported to Russia and Kazakhstan.

Fun facts

• Uzbekistan has over 100 melon varieties, some of which keep until winter.
• Long ago melons were sent to tsars in Moscow in boxes of ice.
• Ibn Sina wrote about the melon as a medicine.