Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe (also cantaloup, mushmelon, muskmelon, rockmelon or spanspek) refers to a variety of Cucumis melo, a species in the family Cucurbitaceae which includes nearly all melons and squashes. Cantaloupes range in size from 0.5 to 5.0 kilograms (1.1 to 11 lb). Originally, cantaloupe referred only to the non-netted orange-fleshed melons of Europe; however, in more recent usage it has come to mean any orange-fleshed melon (C. melo).

The cantaloupe originated in India and Africa.
Cantaloupes were originally cultivated by the Egyptians and later the Greeks and Romans.
Cantaloupes were first introduced to North America by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1494. The W. Atlee Burpee Company developed and introduced the "Netted Gem" in 1881 from varieties then growing in North America.

Cantaloupes are a source of polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals which were thought to provide certain health benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system by regulating the formation of nitric oxide, a key chemical in promoting health of the endothelium and prevention ofheart attacks. However recent research has indicated that they may overcompensate, as the body already has mechanisms to deal with oxidation.
Cantaloupes also are an excellent source of vitamin C.