Sugar Kiss Melons
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Sugar Kiss melons are a small to medium-sized varietal, averaging 15 to 17 centimeters in diameter, and have an oval appearance with blunt, curved ends. The rind is firm, dense, and tough, ripening from green to pale yellow with maturity. The rind is also covered in a tightly woven, raised netting comprised of small broken lines and irregular patterns. The netting is cream-colored and has a rough, sandy, and textured feel. Underneath the surface, the flesh bears a dark green ring, lightening to a pale green to orange tone around the seed cavity. The flesh is dense, aqueous, and tender with a soft, succulent consistency and is edible to the rind. A central seed cavity is filled with light brown, oval seeds encased in a gelatinous layer and suspended between stringy pale fibers. Sugar Kiss melons have little to no aroma and should feel heavy for their size when ripe. The flesh has a rich, sweet, and honeyed flavor with lingering sugary nuances on the palate.
Seasons/Availability
Sugar Kiss melons are available in the summer through fall.
Current Facts
Sugar Kiss melons, botanically classified as Cucumis melo, are a specialty melon belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. The variety is a type of hybrid Hami melon created in Taiwan and was selected as a melon with improved flavor and texture. Sugar Kiss melons earned their confectionary moniker from their high sugar content, creating a sweet eating experience. The flesh is also described as soft or sometimes melting, a trait valued among melon enthusiasts. Sugar Kiss melons are a part of a line of proprietary melons known as Kiss melons. There are several varieties within the Kiss melon line, including cultivars such as Golden Kiss, Kiss Limon, Summer Kiss, Snow Kiss, French Kiss, and Honey Kiss. Sugar Kiss melons are known for their flavor more than the aroma and have a consistent taste throughout the season, a mark of quality that the melons being sold are flavorful and ripe. Sugar Kiss melons are also not genetically modified and are hand-harvested from fields when they have reached peak maturity. Waiting until the melons are ripe allows the flesh to soften, the juice to build, and the flavor to remain steadily sweet.
Nutritional Value
Sugar Kiss melons are a source of calcium to build strong bones and teeth, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and potassium to balance fluid levels within the body. The melons also provide vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation, copper to develop red blood cells, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning and improve skin complexion, and other nutrients, including magnesium, folate, vitamin K, and B vitamins.
Applications
Sugar Kiss melons have a sweet, sugary flavor suited for fresh preparations. The melons are popularly consumed straight out of hand to savor the tender, soft flesh, and the high sugar content creates a candy-like eating experience. Sugar Kiss melons can also be sprinkled with lime juice, salt, sugar, hot honey, or spices such as ginger or Aleppo pepper for added flavor. The melon's sweet nature complements the saltiness of cured meats such as prosciutto, and the flesh can be tossed into salads, mixed with herbs and cheeses as a fresh side, or combined into fruit medleys. Sugar Kiss melons can be used in any recipe calling for cantaloupe or Hami melons, and the rind is sometimes used as a serving vessel, being filled with salads, dips, chilled soups, or desserts. Sugar Kiss melons can also be scooped with a melon baller into a glass, garnished with mint leaves, and topped with prosecco as a decadent dessert, or blended and frozen into sorbet, granita, and beverages, including smoothies. Sugar Kiss melons pair well with herbs such as basil, mint, thyme, cilantro, oregano, and tarragon, fruits including pomegranates, grapes, watermelons, and mangoes, and spices such as ginger, cinnamon, and chili pepper powder. Whole, unopened Sugar Kiss melons are perishable and should be consumed within five days after purchase. Once sliced, the melon's flesh can be wrapped in plastic or stored in a sealed container for one to three days.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Milas and Diana Russell come from farming lineages that emphasized flavor. Milas grew up on a cotton farm in the Imperial Valley in Southern California and lived next door to a neighbor who was in the cantaloupe business. Inspired by his experiences from his youth, Milas, with the help and knowledge of his wife Diana, became a melon grower. As the couple strived to carve their niche in the melon market, the sale of commercial melons was declining in the late 20th century due to a lack of flavor. Milas Russell understood that he had to differentiate himself from other larger growers to survive, so he looked abroad for inspiration and answers. The Russells traveled the world searching for the most flavorful varieties and discovered a melon in Chile that launched their Kiss melon line in 2006. They named the melon French Kiss, a cultivar derived from varieties found in the Charentais region in France. The melon was successful in the company's fields in Yuma, Arizona, kickstarting the development of the new melon line. The Russells created the Kiss melon branding campaign, using slogans such as "There's a kiss for every desire," and began introducing other unique varieties into the line, sourcing the melons from breeders worldwide. Honey Kiss and Sugar Kiss melons were developed from Hami melons, a famous type of melon native to China, and Golden Kiss melons were a hybrid Charentais variety. Summer Kiss melons were discovered in Israel, and Limon Kiss and Snow Kiss are the newest cultivars, released as fresh eating melons. Kiss melons are a line of carefully curated melons that capture flavors from around the world. The brand has also been widely successful in marketing, especially with its signature high-density polyethylene netting, a recyclable packaging that helps distinguish the melons in commercial markets.
Geography/History
Sugar Kiss melons were developed by Known-You Seed Co., a seed breeding company in Taiwan that has been creating F1 hybrid varieties for over 40 years. Known-You Seed Co. partnered with Diana and Milas Russell, owners of Savor Fresh Farms in Yuma, Arizona, and released the seeds to the farm for commercial cultivation in the early 21st century. In 2020, the Russells signed an agreement with Dulcinea Farms and its parent company Pacific Trellis Fruits, to exclusively market and distribute the varieties within the Kiss melon line. Dulcinea and Pacific Trellis Fruits have been in business since 2014 and are one of the top year-round growers, marketers, and shippers of melons domestically in the United States. Today Sugar Kiss melons are grown by Savor Fresh Farms in Yuma, Arizona, Dresick Farms in Central California, and locations in the Imperial Valley. The melons are sold through select grocers, local farmers markets, and health food stores.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Sugar Kiss Melons. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Martha Stewart |
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Melon and Cucumber Salad |
| IGA |
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Two-Melon Mousse |
| Something New for Dinner |
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Sugar Kiss Melon Gazpacho |
| Key Ingredient |
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Sugar Kiss Melon Chocolate Chip Ice Cream |
