Honeydew melon from Baldeneysee

Honeydew melons were a particular delicacy in medieval Europe. They reached monastery gardens north of the Alps via trade routes from the Mediterranean region, including those in... Abbey Werden It originated in the Ruhr Valley and was cultivated there with great care. The Benedictines valued it as a cooling, strengthening, and moisturizing fruit, which served as both a medicinal and foodstuff, especially during the warm summer months. In monastic medicine, the honeydew melon was considered a "gentle refresher" that soothes the body, balances heat, and strengthens the organism after long periods of fasting. Its sweetness was interpreted as a sign of its nourishing power—a gift of nature that delights both body and soul.

Honeydew melons required plenty of warmth and light, which is why they were preferably grown in sheltered areas of the garden at Benedictine abbeys – often against walls that stored heat during the day and released it again at night. The monks chose warm, sunny locations, frequently facing south. Loose, humus-rich soils had, and still have, the property of retaining heat well. Planting was done on raised beds to prevent waterlogging. Straw or mulch served as protection to keep the fruit dry. Watering was done regularly, but without wetting the leaves. Although the melon was demanding, the effort was worthwhile: its fruit was considered both a delicacy and a medicinal remedy.

In monastic medicine, honeydew melon was valued primarily for its cooling and moisturizing properties. The fresh flesh was used to cool the body in hot weather or when feverish. Melon juice was believed to soothe the stomach, and pieces of melon were thought to relieve constipation. Melon seeds were dried, ground into a powder, and used to cleanse the urinary tract. The Benedictines considered the melon a remedy that brought the body into balance, especially during the summer months. In monastery kitchens, honeydew melon was primarily eaten fresh: as a refreshing appetizer, in fruit bowls and desserts, preserved in honey as a special delicacy, and as an ingredient in festive dishes. Its delicate sweetness was a rarity in the Middle Ages, as sugar was scarce and expensive.

As a fragrant herb, however, the honeydew melon played no significant role, although its fresh, sweet scent was appreciated. In some monasteries, dried melon rinds were placed in perfume bowls to freshen rooms. From a spiritual and symbolic perspective, the melon was seen as a symbol of abundance, divine gifts, and joy of life. Its round shape and sweet interior were considered emblematic of God's goodness, which grows in secret.

The Benedictines preserved honeydew melons for the winter months as dried fruit pieces, melon honey (molasses), pickled fruit, juice and syrup, as well as medicinal powders made from the seeds. It was a versatile foodstuff used both in everyday life and on holidays, and also in medicine.

Few people know that it was the Benedictines who cultivated this fruit in our latitudes as early as the Middle Ages. Today, we know the honeydew melon as a popular summer fruit. It is being grown more frequently again in historic monastery gardens to showcase the diversity of medieval plant life. This is also the case in the garden of Abbey Werden at Baldeneysee.