BOISE, ID—In the first of its kind, a recently released study sought to better understand consumer attitudes regarding fresh fruits and vegetables. The research has implications for fields as diverse as nutrition to agriculture.
Among its key findings were that cantaloupe, a melon known by its rough exterior and pinkish orange interior, is most consistently rated by fruit consumers as the "most disappointing." Indeed, 86% of study respondents admitted having at least moderate expectations that a fresh cantaloupe would taste sweet and refreshing, "only to find after the first bite that it was bland, and tasted more like if Gatorade were a fruit," as one study participant wrote.
Another 93% of respondents said that they seemed to quickly forget the sweaty taste relatively quickly after sampling the forsaken fruit, only to then fall prey to the groundless promise of refreshment again in the future.
As many as 58% of the study's 3,670 respondents expressed near-homicidal rage at the mere fact that the fruit is in the same category as watermelon, a sweet and watery gem among fruits of the world. Indeed, the exact phrase "It's an insult to the watermelon" was found in 34% of all respondents' free response sections regarding cantaloupe.
Twenty-two percent of those surveyed feel that the name "cantaloupe" is deliberately misleading, and that the fruit, which is believed to have originated from India or Africa, should be renamed to better describe its flavor. Suggestions from participants include "gagberry," "sweaty ball," and "joy vampire." However, another 12% of the sample suggest that cantaloupe is a fitting name, given the similar sound it has to "antelope." One respondent elaborated by stating, "In fact, it's exactly what I imagine antelope urine tastes like."
The lead researcher, Dr. Gavin Applebaum, finds the negativity toward the cantaloupe somewhat surprising. "Don't get me wrong here, I want to unequivocally state that I am no supporter of the cantaloupe," the two-time recipient of USDA research grants over $1 million said. "But still, I did not expect this degree of hostility toward the thing. I mean, [the research team] totally expected people to dislike grapefruit, and they do. What is interesting is that people seem somehow okay with grapefruit because no one expects it to taste like food. Its distinct sour flavor must be masked with an exorbitant amount of sugar to make it palatable, and people are fine with that."
Dr. Applebaum, who holds a degree in economics, goes on to state that "It's almost like the notion that cantaloupe is a melon, but not as sweet as say, honeydew, is what is causing people to feel this way; people who bite into a slice of one feel betrayed."
The research team was particularly surprised with how many survey respondents offered to participate in follow-up phone calls after the study. "It's usual to get maybe 5% of the whole pool to agree to a followup, but this study gave us 63%. Every one of them wanted to rant about how much they hate cantaloupe: how the government should do something, how they need to come with a warning label, and all kinds of things. People really hate cantaloupe. That was the clear message."
As far as next steps for the research, Applebaum and the research team feel obligated to disperse their findings to farmers worldwide, and to inform lawmakers. "It's not our role to be advocates exactly, but we will certainly communicate the rage and horror the American public experiences so that farmers and congress can take appropriate action."