On August 3, we celebrate World Watermelon Day. The holiday is most common in the United States. Among the most popular competitions during this holiday – watermelon shooting and spitting seeds.
On the occasion of World Watermelon Day, we offer you some more interesting facts about the plant, classified as a fruit vegetable:
- The scientific name of watermelon is Citrullus Lanatus. Its water content is 92 percent and its sugar content is six percent. His closest “relatives” are pumpkins and cucumbers.
- The famous American writer and humorist Mark Twain was a fan of watermelons and called them “angelic food”.
- Wild watermelons come from South Africa. According to the earliest evidence, watermelons were first grown in Egypt about 5,000 years ago. The ancient Egyptians placed them in a tomb for the subsistence of souls.
- Watermelons have been grown in China since the tenth century, and in Europe since the 13th century.
- Juicy and tasty fruit vegetables are grown in 96 countries.
- There are more than 1,200 varieties of watermelons. Leading manufacturer – China.
- In China, as in Japan, guests often bring a watermelon to the hostess.
- The idea of growing square watermelons originated in the Land of the Rising Sun.
- In Egypt and Israel, it is customary to serve juicy watermelon with feta cheese.
- Some varieties need 130 warm days to ripen. Most watermelons ripen in 85 to 100 days.
- The flesh of watermelon is not always red. There are watermelons with orange, green, yellow and white inside.
- All parts of fruits and vegetables are edible, including seeds and peel.
- Watermelons are low in calories and do not contain “bad” fats and cholesterol.
- The sweetness of watermelons is measured by the Brix scale. Most of them get a score of 9 or 10. The sweetest get a score of 11 or 12.
- Watermelon is not only delicious but also good for health. It is rich in vitamins A and C and potassium, and the content of lycopene in it is higher than in tomatoes.
- Watermelon juice relieves muscle tension.
- Due to the content of citrulline, watermelon is considered a natural Viagra and can offer an alternative solution to the problem of erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men.
- Seedless watermelons are not genetically modified, they are “sterile” hybrids.
- The Guinness World Record for the heaviest watermelon, set in 2013, is 159 kilograms.
- In the United States, there is a whole month dedicated to watermelon.