Winter melons (Benincasa hispida) are perhaps the largest cold season melons. They can measure 15 inches in diameter and can weigh in excess of thirty pounds at maturity. Although the fruit is referred to as a "melon," the fully grown crop is not sweet. Originally cultivated in Southeast Asia, the winter melon is now widely grown in East Asia, South Asia and other places around the world. The melons are used in stir fry or to make winter melon soup.