Jim,

Could you compare and contrast with the picture?

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Jim,

I found interesting article you might be interested in.

This is a Korean site and talking about Korean melon history.
If Pop-up window shows up, ask you to download something, just click 'cancel' if it shows up.
http://www.seongju.go.kr/english/special_e_07.htm
OK - It says ;
"During the mid 1950's Yeomcheon was introduced from Japan and was interlaced with the existing type of melons, and existing type of melons lost it's particular character. While the existing melons were low in sweetness, Yeomcheon melon had high sugar contents and were easier to transport. Yeomcheon melon were replaced fast, and from 1960's onward, it became the main kind of Korean melon."

Is this Yeomcheon melon could be your 'Yamachee'?
If so, it could be heirloom variety, it may/may not exists anymore :(

Now - I don't know what Melon (both in my knowledge and in English wise) was introduced from Japan to Korea, but there is one melon introduced from Korea to Japan in 60's, that is Mukuwa melon. It is melon, but this melon is not the same as today's melons. More like veggie...we called those species as Uri - we, an Asian are using them for cooking, yet it's fruity flavor. It is kind of cucumber family but tatste is more like 'melon'.

Makura is small, yellow/greenish oval fruit and unfortunately, in Japan they don't make this species anymore yet in Korea, still very popular.

So, inlcuded all of these - popular and old-fashioned Korean melons I can think of is 2.
One is called Korean Melon in here, US, dua gan.
http://starbulletin.com/2001/09/26/features/ingredient.html

Another one is Makura. Korean people called this as 'chame' or 'cham-woe'
http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/BotanicalGarden/HTMLs/makuwauri.html
The above pic's melon is green, but it will turn to yellow.

But I couldn't find Yamachee info. Sorry.

Oops...sorry what I meant was MAKUWA, not Mukuwa, not Makura as I've typed. -yikes, typolosis-

Thank you both very much.

To compare the photo: The melon had a yellow/green smooth rind and was about the size of a large softball.

At the time (1961/62)it was dangerous to eat food from the local gardens due to the use of raw human sewage. I did eat some things and paid the price of the quick step. I brought home seeds from the melon but lost them before I could plant them. Upon seeing the forum here I was reminded of the great little melon.

As for the true name I could not swear to the spelling or sound in English.

My wife and I have recently been enjoying Korean food in nothern VA-it is great but makes for killer breath. We (GIs) used to call the Korean buses "Kempchee Buses" as the garlic was almost over powering when everyone crouded on the buses.

Off topic though - Since we are talking about Korean, thought this is interesting to share.

If you go to Korean restaurants in Korea and ask for desert, you'll often find they have tomatoes(cherry type).
I don't know in Korea but I have experienced sugar sprinkled tomato slices at table few times in China, or at Chinese friend's :)

In Japan, people put salt on watermelons and in Korea, people put sugar on watermelons. This is a nature habit, I just cannot eat watermelons without salt! Grr Japanese salt intake is very high, No Good!

Anyone growing an Asian veggies - Try! :)

Did it at all resemble the following?

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Violet,

In truth I am not at all sure but my first responce upon looking at your photo was that it was a more rounded melom with a consistant color.

I am now thinking that I would like to plant some Asian melons. Is it too late to plant them and what would you or an others recommend?

Jim,

You'd be pushing it as far as time but you can always go head and order the seeds and try a couple of seeds for this year and save the rest for next year. Most people don't usually need more than a vine or two of a particular variety. If you can look for varieties which mature quickly, that will help. Melons can take anywhere from 55 days to 120 days or more to reach maturity from the planting date.

Here is a source for Asian Melons for you.

Let us know what you decide on and how they work for you.

I'm sure others will have specific melon recommendations. You can also search this forum for "melons" and browse some past suggestions.

I HAVE HAD A TERRIBLE TIME GETTING BITTER MELON AND WAX MELON SEEDS TO GERMINATE. PLEASE GIVE ME VERY SPECIFIC DETAILS. I HAVE TRIED 3 TYPES OF WAX MELON AND 4 TYPES OF BITTER MELON. SOME TYPES DID NOT EVEN GERMINATE?? AT ALL. THANK YOU

edmac,

I save the 6-paks that I get from buying plants at local nursuries. I use Scotts seed starting planting mix and fill up the cavities, then insert the seeds about 1/2 inch deep in the mix. I give the 6-pak a shake to settle the mix around the seeds, then, water them and set them in a warm place, and keep them moist, not too wet. The seeds will germinate in about a week.

I'm growing white bitter melon and winter melon this year with good results for both. My seeds are a couple of years old.

Did your melon resemble this one?

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese green-skinned melon

Jim... did you ever figure this out?

edmac... please do not use all caps. It is very difficult to read which is why books and magazines are never written in all caps. If you have a hard time reading your screen because the type is too small, you can set the preferences of your browser to display in a larger font size on your screen.

Jim,

I was a Korean linguist for the Army and lived in Korea as well. I believe the fruit you may be talking about is called CHAM-WAY. I could write it in Korean, but you probably wouldn't be able to read it.

I am growing some in my garden this year. I went to an Asian market and bought piece of fruit that was imported. Dried the seeds out and planted them a week later. Here is a pic of mine in the garden. It is still green and here is a pic from another URL that is ripe.

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{{gwi:386745}}
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Let us know if you have figured it out yet
-mark

I happened across this Korean seed company's website.
I can't read it but it appears to be the same fruit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hangnong seeds melon

dang! you did better than me! i tried growing that same one. i wonder if i didn't start it on time...

-ming

I hand those yellow mellons. They tasted like small honey dews.

I love the Korean Melon - and am drying some seed from one eaten recently for planting next spring. Maku - your pictures are what I enjoy. I hope Jim has been able to identify what he is looking for.

LOL... This thread is FUNNY. Jim started this thread in '03, then it's revived in '04, again in '05, and now in '05.

What makes it funny is in '05, people are still writing to Jim and it seems his last post on this thread was in Jun of '03.

I wonder if anyone else if follow up to Jim's original question because they didn't notice it was a question from '03.

crabjoe,

I've been a member since 2001. I have no problem if someone picks up a discussion I started from 2001 and appreciate that people are searching the forums and continuing threads rather than creating new duplicates. I find time to be irrelevant so long as the information helps out anyone who might come along and learn something from the posts which become an ongoing discussion. What a fantastic opportunity...

Violet,

I have no problems with people bring back an old post, but this one is just funny because Jim stopped responding to his original post in June of '03.

It's funny because in '04, someone responded to his original post and then someone else did it in '05 as if he was still looking for an answer but he seems to be nowhere in sight and people don't seem to be looking at date of the question.

Hey, reading this old thread last year got me to planting Korean and other melons! I can't wait to try them. There are 4 varieties of different Asian melons, DH and I can have a taste test!

GGG

Let us know what you like GGG.

I found this melon at a local Korean grocery called "yellow melon". About the same size and shape as the yellow "CHAM-WAY" posted above but tastes more like a cantelop with white flesh and was very sweet. It was in the same shade of yellow as CHAM-WAY but no white stripes. I saved the seeds and gonna try growing some. Does anyone know what it may be?

Mark

I grow this melon this year. Both Korean and Chinese have this type melon. When it is ripe on the vine, it can be as sweet as honey with pleasant aroma. I think Burpee's carries similar product(seeds) called early silverline.

About the same size and shape as the yellow "CHAM-WAY" posted above but tastes more like a cantelop with white flesh and was very sweet. It was in the same shade of yellow as CHAM-WAY but no white stripes. I saved the seeds and gonna try growing some. Does anyone know what it may be?

Does it look like this? (It's a Canary Melon.)

{{gwi:386747}}

I want to say yes and you are probably right that it is a Juan Canary. The only thing that makes me hesitent is the fact that the skin is as smooth as a honey dew, except in that bright yellow. Maybe it's just a small variation.

daikon_tomato,

Thanks for the follow-up. There are smooth types as well as more round types of the Canary Melon.

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Does anyone know how long it takes for the fruits to set and mature? I started two plants using the seeds in May from a melon bought at the store. They are growing nicely, but I am in zone 4 and wondering if there is enough time for them.

I have some of this small oval Korean melons growing now.
(pic posted by MAKU)
One of its fruits has turned yellow and there are quite few green ones.
I baught the seeds from Korean market. I planted them back in April but it was slow at first to germinate and grow.
Because of its small size (less than 2 lbs), they should ripen faster than big melons.

Thank you for your reply, Cyrus_Gardener. I don't see any flowers on my plants yet. I will post here when I see the first fruit set.

Good luck, spengl,
We have still in first month of summer. I understand that MN, is perhaps 3 weeks behind GAand not as warm.
As I mentioned, they are not very agressive growers.
By the way, I had one of them in my frig(purchased from Korean market)I finally got to it today. I tell you, it was amazingly sweet. Probably keeping in frig did help it get sweeter. This is a good melon to grow, because of its size and taste.
Cyrus

Final Report on CHAM_WAY melon:

I had a very good harvest and they were/are very sweet.
I harvested over 15 of them and 3 or 4 were eaten by some animals, partially. I have still 5 of them in my frig.
yesterday I pull out the vines as they were not producing anymore.
In comparison I had planted another small variety(not Korean) that produced just one and even that did not ripen before rats got into it.
Definitely, I will grow some more next year.

This is my second year growing cham-ae melons and I should have some ready in 3 weeks or so.

Last year they were very prolific, but a little hard and not that sweet. It was a very rainy year though.

This year the weather has been a little better, so I hope they are sweeter.

Dean