Cantaloupe vs Honeydew: What's the Difference?
Short answer: Cantaloupe and honeydew are both varieties of Cucumis melo. Cantaloupe has netted, tan skin and orange flesh with a muskier, aromatic sweetness; honeydew has smooth, pale skin and green flesh with a milder, cleaner, honeyed sweetness. Both are ripe when they smell fragrant and give slightly at the blossom end.
| 🍈 Cantaloupe | 🍈 Honeydew | |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Sweet, musky, and floral with tender, dripping flesh; a great one is almost tropical. Underripe cantaloupe tastes like cucumber's boring cousin — this fruit lives and dies by ripeness. | Delicately sweet with honey, pear, and cucumber-blossom notes and a silkier, denser bite than cantaloupe. The "inodorus" family name means unscented — subtlety is the design, not a flaw. |
| Type | Melon | Melon |
| Peak season | Summer | Summer, Autumn |
| Origin | Likely Africa or South Asia; named for the papal estate at Cantalupo, Italy, where it was grown from the 1700s | Probably Persia/West Africa lineage of Cucumis melo; the modern type fixed in France and Algeria |
| Calories (per 100 g) | 34 | 36 |
| Sugar (per 100 g) | 7.9 g | 8.1 g |
| Vitamin C (per 100 g) | 36.7 mg | 18 mg |
| Typical price | Budget | Budget |
Cantaloupe and honeydew are the two most common supermarket melons, and they’re the same species - Cucumis melo - grown in different varietal groups. The differences are all on display in the skin and flesh.
A cantaloupe (in North America, technically a muskmelon) has netted, tan-beige skin over orange flesh, with a muskier, more perfumed sweetness. A honeydew has smooth, waxy, pale-cream to greenish skin over green flesh, and a milder, cleaner, more delicately honeyed flavour.
Picking a ripe one comes down to smell and give. For both, sniff the blossom end (opposite the stem): a ripe melon is noticeably fragrant, and that spot should yield slightly to a gentle press. A good cantaloupe shows raised, corky netting and a golden (not green) background; a good honeydew feels waxy and faintly tacky rather than hard and shiny. Both are best cold, and both pair beautifully with a little lime, mint, or - in the classic - thin salty ham.
Frequently asked questions
Are cantaloupe and honeydew the same species?
Yes - both are varieties of Cucumis melo, the same species. They differ in rind, flesh colour, and flavour, not in kind. (What's sold as 'cantaloupe' in North America is technically a muskmelon.)
Which is sweeter?
Honeydew often tastes sweeter and cleaner when perfectly ripe, while cantaloupe has a muskier, more aromatic sweetness. Ripeness makes a bigger difference than type.
How do I pick a ripe one?
For both, smell the blossom end (opposite the stem) - it should be fragrant - and press gently there for a slight give. A ripe cantaloupe has a raised, corky netting and no green under the net; a ripe honeydew has waxy, slightly tacky skin rather than shiny-hard.