At the farmers market a couple of weeks ago, I happened upon a Piel de Sapo melon. I’ve neither heard of nor seen this football-shaped melon before. Originating in Spain, Piel de Sapo literally translates as “Skin of Toad” probably because of its mottled green and yellow skin.
Inside, it has white flesh with just a bit of orange in the middle. The flavor is sweet, crisp and refreshing similar to watermelon but the texture is more like honeydew or cantaloupe.
As it ripens, it’ll start to have tinges of yellow to the green skin. The melon also has a long shelf life, it sat around the kitchen counter this whole time. I’m thinking of getting a few more and see how long I can keep them into the winter.
Piel de sapo doesn’t sound appealing when said in English does it!
It sounds like something I don’t want to try just because of the name…
I’ve never heard of this melon but it sounds delicious. A long shelf life would be very useful if you want to enjoy local melon for a longer time.
oh yeah! I recently got one of these as well – and I loved it! I put some in a fruit salad and it was so delicious – a nice light flavor. I also noticed the long shelf life, which certainly isn’t true for all melons out there. Good idea to stock up on a few. I’ll look for more at the market this week. :)
jeni treehugger – No it doesn’t. :-)
tofu lover – The name doesn’t sound very appealing but it sure is tasty to eat.
Andrea – Me neither, but now I’m glad I gave it a try.
amey – I’ll have to try it in a fruit salad, I’ve just been eating it plain. At my local farmers market, it’s also a little cheaper if I buy more than one.