The Cult Of Weiser Melons

 There are new stars in SoCal and its the Weiser. They're hitting Los Angeles by storm and becoming the darlings of the West Coast culinary world. Yet what is it about this fruit that makes them so special?

Regular contributor and Los Angelino herself, Tejal Rao wrote about this fruit phenom in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.The Weiser melons  are grown by by Alex Wiser son of the original owner Sid in the farmland outside of Los Angeles. The farm , once known for its; potatoes and apples now grows a wide variety of melons. These are usually sold at trendy farmer's markets through the Los Angeles area. He offers several different ones, namely eight varieties all used by the top chefs of the area. Weiser melons are so known in the area that they;'re named dropped on melons. They're also versatile being employed in a variety of savory and sweet dishes. Famed chef Aaron LIndell who runs  Echo Park's Quarter Sheets pizzeria uses two kinds in his sweet and sour salad. His melon salad uses Bonny a sweet and sour melon variety along with PIel de Sapo or brilliant melon.The chilled fruit is drenched in a vegan fish sauce, left to infuse with melon straps tweaked with lime juice and olive oil.It's served on a bed of toasted sesame and coriander seeds.

Other chefs have gotten creative with the Weiser melons as well. Yang's Kitchen in Alhambra uses the melons for  a pale orange soft serve ice cream.It's flavor is so intense and sweet many would mistake it for being artificially flavored. Some diners have it swirled with vanilla and compare it to  the taste of Melona - a Korean ice pop.At the Iranian restaurant Aziramin Silver Lake  the farm's cantaloupes are frozen into a delicate and hydrating paoudeh, a granite infused with rose water.It's layered with half a dozen more varieties of chilled melon. A mint syrup is drizzled over this. Yet many home chefs also go wild for the Weiser melons There are also melon jam filled doughnuts  at Ed Cornells  Cafe Tropical. They're the Weisermelon Doughnuts.What makes the melons so successful with both professional and home chefs is wide choice of different types that appeal to the many ethnic groups that make up the area. Ms. Rao asked for help as she soughtt different ones She chose several different ones, such as Piel de Sapo and the Cavaillon both sweet in their own way.

Weiser melons are the darling of the LA area. Hopefully they'll make their way to the East Coast. It would be wonderful trying these sweet gems when they're in season.