Brazil’s Best: A Breakdown of the Brazilian Melon Season
Can you believe it’s November? It feels as though we should still be enjoying the hot summer days and all the local specialties that come with the season. But as the weather cools and the fall temperatures settle upon us, the season for local varieties begins to wind down. We agree, it’s an absolute shame.
Cue: The Brazilian melon season. The Brazil season features a number of melons that are able to lift the fall blues away. From fresh, bright flavors, to kid-approved varieties, there are many promo opportunities the season has to offer.
Why Brazilian Melons?
All Brazilian specialty melons are harvested and shipped by Agrícola Famosa, the largest grower and exporter of melons in Brazil. Founded in 1995, Agrícola Famosa grows are more than 74,000 acres and employs more than 8,000 people across their farms and facilities in Northeast Brazil. Their team harvests up to 740 acres of melons every week for export (primarily to Europe). All Famosa melons are Global GAP and Rainforest Alliance Certified.
In 2024, all specialty Brazilian melons were re-branded to pay homage to Brazil’s delicate ecosystem. This re-brand, called the Forest Friends collection, is meant to raise awareness about biodiversity and wildlife preservation. The Forest Friend collection attributes:
- The arara melon to the blue macaw, a dwindling population of birds with colbalt-blue feathers.
- The canary melon to the golden lion tamarin, a bright-orange monkey that’s endangered due to deforestation.
- Piel de sapo melon to the Amazon River turtle, a species endangered due to habitat loss and pollution.
- Mini watermelons pay homage to the Amazon’s pink river dolphins, a species that face significant threats due to pollution, habitat loss, and more.
Although the melons are rocking new labels (and for some of them names), they’re still the classic melons cultivated with care by Famosa. Read on for a full breakdown of each variety, its flavor, and uses.
The Varieties
Arara
The arara variety is a relatively new variety to the US commercial market. It was first introduced to the US in 2019 and developed by Famosa specifically for their growing region, meaning this melon is consistent in size and flavor throughout the entire Brazilian melon season.
The arara melon is said to resemble a dinosaur egg in appearance – it has creamy skin with green striations. It is a kid favorite, parent approved variety for its honey sweet flavor.
Canary
Named after its eye-catching appearance, the golden canary melon’s striking outside holds a delightfully sweet inside. Canary melons are an extremely versatile melon with a tangy-sweet flavor and a tender-crisp texture. It is loved in Brazil and popular in Asia, especially Japan and Korea, for eating out-of-hand. Its tender and juicy flesh makes it a perfect choice to satisfy a sweet tooth without the addition of added sugar.
Piel de Sapo
Piel de sapo, which means ‘toad skin’ in Spanish, originated in Spain and is widely popular in Europe. This large and oblong shaped melon holds a creamy white and juicy flesh. They have thick, netted skin that is said to resemble a crocodile.
Piel de sapo melons are often referred to as ‘Santa Claus’ melons because of their long shelf-life. These melons can be harvested in the fall and stored through the holiday season.
Mini Watermelons
Mini watermelons are just as they sound – miniature versions of the large watermelons we all know and love. Thanks to the semi-acrid climate of Northeast Brazil, Famosa is the leading grower of watermelons in the country. These mini melons are comparable to the size of a cantaloupe, often weighing in at about 3 pounds.
With a deep-red, sweet, and virtually seedless flesh, mini watermelons are perfect for targeting couples and small families of four.
Professional Uses
With the local season finished, Brazilian melon season contains some of the freshest melon varieties on the market. As a produce manager, consider:
- Limit shrink by incorporating melons into fresh-cut trays. For example, in the counter-season, arara melons are the perfect substitute for honeydew. Consider incorporating araras into fruit trays in place of honeydew for a fresh, in-season alternative.
- Display halved or overwrapped melons so consumers can visualize the interior. This is especially good for showcasing the vivid red flesh of mini watermelons.
- Incorporate signs into piel de sapo displays informing consumers of its many names.
- Add a splash of color to displays by cross-merchandising canary melons with other specialty melons.
From bright, fresh flavors, to kid-approved varieties, there’s also many more uses the Brazilian melon season has to offer.