History of the melon
The origin of the melon is somewhat obscure. Sweet melons originated in Africa or Asia and have been well known in China for at least 3,000 years. It was not the melon we know today that was eaten then but more likely to have been a wild bitter kind, similar to cucumbers of the recent past. These wild melons could not be eaten raw. Hybridization resulted in sweeter melons, melons that the Moors brought to Spain from Persia or Africa. Afterwards they were carried on to Italy and by the 15th century they arrived in France where they were welcomed by the Avignon popes.
Christopher Columbus took melons to the New World. As their popularity grew they were eaten by large groups and discarded seeds further aided spread. Melons thereafter began to appear as a cultivated crop. Melons today are found in many different types warm regions across the world