The History of Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe likely originated in Persia or India, although melon varieties have a long history in the Mediterranean region. The name “cantaloupe” is likely derived from the name of a town in either Italy or France and the English began using the word by the mid-1700s, indicating that its popularity had spread throughout much of the Western world by that point. A particularly sensationalist origin story claims the cantaloupe got its name from Cantalupo di Sabina, a town in the Sabine Hills where the papacy kept a country estate. This version of the story claims that cantaloupe was introduced from the East, then first grown in Cantalupo di Sabina for the pope to enjoy before spreading to other parts of Europe. While this etymological story is less likely to be true, it does touch on the fact that the popes were big fans, which we know because the pope's chef published a cookbook in 1470 that made specific mention of them. In particular, Pope Paul II famously loved melons and consumed two in one sitting just before his death. (It’s unclear exactly what type of melon he’d eaten or whether this was related to his demise.) The cantaloupe was first described in English as “the cantaleupt melon” in Philip Miller’s 1739 Gardeners Dictionary, evidence that it had spread at least as far as Britain by then. Over time, the cantaloupe continued to spread throughout the world and today, it is widely popular in many places, including the United States.