A melon that tastes like a lemon has hit shelves at Tesco this week.
The variety, aptly named the lemon melon, resembles a typical honeydew variety and has the smooth flesh of a melon, but the zesty taste of a lemon.
The fruit, which is grown in Spain, is a cross between a sour Indian white melon and a wild Japanese melon.
It has a 700-800mg level of citric acid per 100g - almost twice that of a standard melon -and a PH level of 4.5, compared with 6.5 for a standard melon.
The average sugar level of the lemon melon is measured at 14 per cent brix, compared with 11 per cent brix for a standard variety.
Tesco melon buyer Paul Cunningham said: “Melons were for a long time considered a really exotic treat, but the arrival here in recent years of ever weird and wonderful produce such as dragon fruit, lychees and papaya has made them mainstream to many people.
“Now at last there is a new variety that we think will help excite the market. We believe that they can become the culinary hit of the summer once people have tasted them.
“The lemon melon causes a great reaction when people first try them because the last thing you expect from a smooth textured melon is a tangy aftertaste.”
The UK melon market is valued at £125 million a year by retail analyst TNS.
The lemon went on sale exclusively at 270 Tesco stores across the UK on Tuesday, priced at £1.99 each.
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