Throughout
the years, watermelon has found itself in many
pickles, jams, and other interesting situations.
How many of these fun facts did you know?
The word "watermelon" first appeared
in the English dictionary in 1615.
Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus
of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae. Although
it is botanically a fruit, it is a member of
the gourd family and closely related to cucumbers,
pumpkins, squash, zucchini, etc.
Believed to originate from the Kalahari Desert
in South Africa, the first recorded watermelon
harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries,
and there are now 1,200 varieties worldwide.
While most Americans associate watermelon
with the 4 th of July, picnics and apple pie,
it is actually consumed much more heavily in
other countries. A truly international fruit,
30 times more watermelon is consumed in China
than in the United States, for example.
A watermelon was once thrown at Greek orator
Demosthenes during a political debate. Placing
the watermelon upon his head, he thanked the
thrower for providing him with a helmet to wear
as he fought Philip of Macedonia.
Watermelon is 92% water, and early explorers
used watermelons as canteens.
Food Historian John Martin Taylor says that
early Greek settlers brought the method of pickling
watermelon with them to Charleston, South Carolina.
Every part of a watermelon is edible, even
the seeds and rinds. In Asia, the seeds are
roasted. Rinds are pickled in Russia and the
West. (The first cookbook published in the United
States in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon
rind pickles.)
In 1990, Bill Carson, of Arrington, Tennessee,
grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds; it
remains on the record books, according to the
1998 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
In China and Japan, watermelon is a popular
gift to bring a host.
In most Mediterranean countries, the sweet
taste of watermelon is sometimes paired with
feta.
Watermelon is the most popular flavor of Jolly
Rancher's Candies
By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed
melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and
honeydew.
In 2005, over 4.5 billion lbs of watermelon
were consumed in the US.
Watermelon is an ideal health food because
it is virtually fat free (less than 1% RDI is
in an 8 oz. serving, resulting from seeds during
pressing) or cholesterol, is an excellent source
of vitamins A, B6 and C, and contains fiber
and potassium.
Contrary to popular belief, eating watermelon
seeds will not cause a watermelon to grow in
your stomach.
