The Magic Of Uzbek Winter Melons: Gifts ‘Of Rare And Strange Beauty

Why these fruits have bewitched travellers to Central Asia for centuries

In the west, melons are seen as thirst-quenching tropical fare, symbols of summer — think of novelty watermelon-shaped beach balls, icy melon sorbet and hydrating scoops of cantaloupe — but in Uzbekistan it is the winter varieties, those harvested from mid-September, that are favoured for their vitamins and antioxidants.

Uzbekistan’s harsh continental climate — very hot summers, very cold winters — is perfect for growing melons. According to one exporter, 22,000ha of melon fields produce 400,000-500,000 tonnes a year. And, just as they are embedded in the terroir, the economy and the Uzbek imagination, they are entrenched in history and customs. Uzbek melons have been written about over centuries. Wrapped in cotton, they were regularly transported great distances along various strands of the silk routes that criss-crossed Central Asia.

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