Dictionary

Hami melon en · NOUN

Etymology

From Hami + melon, calque from Mandarin 哈密瓜 (hāmìguā).

Meanings

1. A variety of muskmelon from Xinjiang, China, particularly associated with Hami City.
   • They also left a lasting stamp on the food of the capital, with their great round wheels of sesame flatbread, their grilled and stir-fried lamb, and their incredibly fragrant Hami melons. 2008, Nicole Mones, The Last Chinese Chef, page 169:
   • Sheng had given me many Hami melons, and once again a cavalry of several hundred horsemen arrived for my departure, making for a spectacular send-off. 1994, Lifu Chen, Hsu-Hsin Chang, Ramon Hawley Myers, editors, The Storm Clouds Clear Over China: The Memoir of Chʻen Li-fu, 1900-1993, page 133:
   • The first major town on the Silk Road after entering Xinjiang was Hami. The mention of the name always makes one think of the famous Hami melons, but the melons are actually grown everywhere in Xinjiang. 1995, Wen Dong Kuang, Focus on Xinjiang, →OCLC, page 19:
   • The Hami melon, native to the Hami Region of Sinjiang Province, has found a new home here in Jhuangwei, Yilan. The soil downstream of the Lanyang River is great for the cultivation of hami melon because of the plentiful sunshine, excellent water system, and the local mild weather. The Hami melon was introduced to Jhuangwei in 1982. (Can we date this quote?), “Food”, in Yilan County Government, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2018:

Forms

Synonyms

Chinese Hami melon · snow melon

Translations (4)

yue 哈密瓜 (variety of muskmelon) · ja 哈密瓜 (variety of muskmelon) · fi cantaloupe (variety of muskmelon) · cmn 哈密瓜 (variety of muskmelon)