Water Melon

A cold, juicy watermelon on a hot summer day is simply blissful.

All about water melon

Watermelons start to make a special appearance in fruit markets when spring springs and remain distinctive for another season. And summers won't be summers without watermelons. It is one of the juiciest fruits to keep you hydrated in summer and a perfect cooler for the scorching hot days. Watermelon is one of my famous fruits and the favourite member of the melon family of all time as it is a drink and a feed at the same time. I am sure the raw vegans in USA, UK and Australia adore this giant red fruit just like me. The fruit contains 92% water, proteins, minerals, and carbohydrates.

The watermelon is botanically called Citrullus Lanatus, also called a pepo. Pepo in Latin means watermelon, and it belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. The watermelons grow on a vine and can only survive in one growing season. They need a warm climate of around 24-27⁰C for their best growth and ample sunshine, dry weather and cool nights for the sweet taste. 

There are wide varieties of watermelons, but they can all be broken down into five common types that are popular globally: mini, seeded, seedless, yellow, and the orangeglo (orange).

History of the watermelon

history of watermelon

The origin story of watermelon is juicier and roots deep down in history. The botanists say Africa is the home town of watermelon and originated in tropical Africa about five thousand years ago. Historians and archaeologists have tracked thousands of years of evidence on fruit remnants in Egyptian tombs. Watermelon cultivation is visible during the Roman Era too.

Even though it is not precise when and how watermelon arrived in Southern Asian countries like India and Sri Lanka, the botanists say the cultivation started in India in the 7th century. By the 10th century, it has reached China.

There is a mention of watermelon in the Bible too. The watermelons mentioned in Bible days may be much more miniature than the giant watermelons grown in the USA and the other part of the world today.

How to pick a good watermelon

how to pick a good watermelon

To check if the watermelon is ripe enough or too ripe, we need to raise the melon to the ear and give it a quick, robust tap with the fingers.

The best watermelons have a solid thudding and should feel heavy for their size. The solid plump fruit has good water-rich flesh. You could also check the stem, the small circle near the end of the fruit where it's been snipped off the vine. If it's brown, it's ripe; if it's green, avoid buying it.

If the melon shows a hollow sound, consider passing on the fruit as it would either be too ripe or has a desiccated innard.

Names for watermelon used around the world

how to pick a good watermelon

English - Watermelon
French - Pastèque
Spanish - Sandía
German- Wassermelone
Italian - Anguria
Hindi- Tarabooj (तरबूज)
Tamil - Tarpūcaṇi (தர்பூசணி)
Sinhalese - Komadu (කොමඩු)
Bengali - Taramuja (তরমুজ)
Punjabi - Tarabūja (ਤਰਬੂਜ)
Arabic- Albitiykh (البطيخ)
Turkish - Karpuz
Russian - Arbuz (арбуз)
Polish - Arbuz
Chinese - Xīguā (西瓜)
Mandarin - Xīguā (西瓜)
Indonesian - Semangka
Japanese - Suika (スイカ)
Korean - Subag (수박)
Hebrew - אבטיח
Greek - Karpoúzi (καρπούζι)
Portuguese - Melancia
Dutch - Watermeloen
Swedish - Vattenmelon
Danish - Vandmelon
Frisian - Watermeloen

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