Missing Melona

No one is traveling at the moment, but a particular nibble or sip can spark a memory and drop you right back in Memphis or Paris. Melona, a South Korean ice cream bar, does it for me. I first had a Melona bar lounging with my family by a swimming pool in Waikiki. One bite and the aloha is back.

Started in South Korea in 1992, Melona is essentially blended fruit and milk. You’ve got a few additives, but nothing scary. Think of it as a Creamcicle that’s not orange. The original flavor was a Korean melon called chamoe. Honeydew is now the most popular, but there’s also strawberry, banana, mango, and coconut. Because it’s actual fruit puree, Melona bars tastes fresh, not like Laffy Taffy. Bonus, a single bar is only 110 calories.

Melona was imported first to Hawaii, became a big hit there, and then spread to the mainland.  Since 2017, Lucerne Foods makes Melona for the American market. You can probably track down Melona at your local Costco or Safeway, but the safe bet is your town’s Asian supermarket.