Galia Melon

Description

Galia melon, also known as sarda in Southeast Asia, is a type of F₁ hybrid melon originating from a cross between the green-flesh melon cultivar ‘Ha-Ogen’ and the netted-rind melon cultivar ‘Krimka’. Developed in Israel at the Ne´ve Yaar Research Center of the Agricultural Research Organisation by the melon breeder Dr. Zvi Karchi,^[1] and released in 1973, the Galia melon was named after Karchi’s daughter, whose name means “God’s wave” in Hebrew.^[2]

According to the trade type definition, the fruits of the Galia have the following characteristics:^[3] the average weight for a Galia melon is one kilogram. They have a rounded shape, a dense netting of rough lines on the skin, and become yellow at full maturity; they are sweet and aromatic, with a special aroma and flavor and a very high content of total soluble solids (values up to 18° are possible, although the minimum value to be considered commercially mature is 11°). Ripeness is measured not by softness at the stem, but rather by color of the skin, when it starts turning from green to yellow.^[4] Left at room temperature, Galia keeps well, but after cutting, uneaten pieces should be wrapped and refrigerated to preserve flavor.