The Gaya melon, also known as the ivory gaya, snowball, sweet snowball, ghost, dino(saur), dino(saur) egg, snow leopard, matice, matisse, sugar baby, and silver star melons, is a small to medium-sized
honeydew cultivar developed originally in
Japan and
Korea and now grown in
China,
Mexico, southern
California, and
South America.[1]
Description
The rind is very thin and is ivory in color with green streaking and the interior flesh is white.[2] They are round in shape and may be slightly oblong. The flesh is juicy and soft towards the center but crispier towards the rind. It has been described to have a mild, sweet flavor with floral notes. It is best kept at room temperature and cut melons will stay good in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.[1]
Availability
It is available from late spring to early summer and is available at various
farmers' markets and
Asian markets in
California and is sought after because of its unique coloring.[3] It is also available at supermarkets in
Australia, among other countries.
