French fruit in season: Melon

Whether sliced and served with cured ham as a starter, diced into fruit salads, or enjoyed straight from the fridge with a spoon, the melon is synonymous with summer. And it seems the French agree, consuming more than three kilos each a year. 

Peak season runs from June to September, with the fruit hitting its stride in July and August, and the star of the show is the Charentais melon, a variety of cantaloupe with a pale green rind, rich orange flesh and a flavour which is floral, fragrant and deeply sweet. 

Melons are mainly grown across France, albeit mainly in the south: 322,412 tons were harvested in 2024 in the Pays-de-la-Loire, Poitou-Charentes, Midi-Pyrénées, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon. Several varieties are recognised for their excellence. 

Here are just a few of the best: 

Haut-Poitou Melon PGI – A classic Charentais-type, grown in clay-limestone soils that drain naturally and lend the fruit a distinctive freshness. 

Haut Quercy Melon PGI – Officially recognised with PGI status in 2004, this appellation straddles three departments: Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot, and Lot-et-Garonne. Its melons are aromatic and juicy, shaped by a hilly, sun-drenched landscape. 

Cavaillon Melon PGI – Long considered the grande dame of French melons (it apparently dates back to 1495 in Cavaillon), it was finally granted PGI status in 2025. It is grown primarily in the Vaucluse département, but also in parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var. Writer Alexandre Dumas was particularly partial to them and in 1864, donated all of his published work to the library of the city of Cavaillon in exchange for a lifetime annuity of 12 melons a year. 

Look out too for melons carrying the Label Rouge, the French quality mark that certifies a product is of superior quality. When it comes to choosing a good specimen, have a sniff: a strong, sweet scent is a good sign. The fruit should feel heavy for its size, and if it gives ever so slightly at the stem end, it’s ready. French melons are picked fully ripe and by hand, unlike many imported varieties harvested early for transport. That’s why they often taste better – they’re local, seasonal and unhurried, just as summer should be. 

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Lead photo credit : Charentais melons on a market stall in the Gard department © Isabelle Blanchemain/Flickr