But in the world of melons, like everywhere else, consumer-society economics and both production and sales on a massive scale come into play. So these days it is not uncommon to buy a melon and find it neither smells nor tastes like one, and in fact may not have much taste at all.

We are referring to those melons that don't need surnames or odd names, like the Galia melon or the Cantaloupe: those small green or pale orange melons with a different aroma. They are more and more common on the market today. After taking a whiff of them, we often buy them because at least they smell like something.

Blending textures and flavors
If your melon turns out to be bland, sprinkle a bit of salt on it. Melon is great with ham, so long as the ham is good. It is not bad with smoked salmon either. It is worth checking out how those flavors of the sea and the smokehouse blend with the texture of the melon

But going back to melon, I always recommend that people try Cantaloupe but prepare it like our neighbors to the north: cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and fill the center with Port or some other sweet wine. Serve it as an appetizer. It's delicious.

If you serve melon in salad, do so with chilled pickling sauce. It is also wonderful as a gazpacho, but pick ripe fruit and add a bit of mint:

I have also tried saut�ed melon, served as a side dish with smoked meat such as duck breast, sliced thin. And if my memory serves me, my friend Sato, a fine Japanese chef, once served me Galia melon stuffed with marinated seafood and a bit of soy. To accompany it, dry white Rueda wine with a bit of woody taste.

Summer's freshest offering
Fruit salads can be served inside the melon itself, with peaches or muscatel grapes. I recommend serving it as a sorbet, with a few drops of Cointreau or T�a Mar�a, or as a marmalade. I had it this way in Murcia at the home of a friend whose mother pampered us with late afternoon tea snacks of country-style bread smeared with melon marmalade and candied honey. It reminded me of my childhood.

Another idea is to serve melon in chilled soups, with a dash of sherry and a few chunks of lobster or small pieces of ham. Or you can serve it chilled by itself, with sugar or honey and bits of lemon. But when the weather gets hot the best way to eat melon is simply pull it out of the refrigerator, slice off a piece and bite into it. It's a pleasure to be enjoyed on one's own, and if you have your feet dipped in the sea, all the better.