Ninon

The Ninon is a French charentais-type melon, a class of melon prized in France for its intensely fragrant, sweet orange flesh. Charentais melons are a type of European cantaloupe known for their smooth or lightly ribbed rinds and aromatic interior.

As a charentais type, the Ninon typically has a smoother rind and smaller, more rounded fruit than the netted American cantaloupe. Charentais melons are generally more fragrant and flavorful but smaller and far less suited to long-distance shipping than standard commercial cantaloupes.

The Ninon has sweet, richly aromatic orange flesh characteristic of the charentais type. It was bred for both flavor and disease resistance, combining the prized eating quality of French charentais melons with improved garden performance.

Like other charentais melons, the Ninon is ready to harvest when the skin shifts from greenish to a warm golden tone and the fruit slips easily from the vine with gentle pressure. A strong, sweet fragrance at the blossom end is another reliable sign of ripeness.