I love Watermelon and am always watching for a good price on it. Do you put salt on yours? Do you like seeds or seedless? Do you cut triangles with the rind on or do you cut cubes and no rind?
Did you know that watermelon is 92% water? No wonder it’s so refreshing! People have been digging into this tasty, juicy fruit for millennia and it all started in Ancient Egypt. It’s said that watermelon cultivation began in the Nile Valley as early as the second millennium B.C. Watermelon seeds were even found in King Tut’s tomb! On August 3, we celebrate this ancient berry in a feast of juicy deliciousness—otherwise known as National Watermelon Day.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL WATERMELON DAY
The juicy, refreshing watermelon deserves its own day, that’s why we celebrate National Watermelon Day. Cultivation of this fruit dates back to 2000 B.C., with the first watermelon harvest on record occurring approximately 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Traces of watermelon and its seeds have been discovered on sites of the 12th Egyptian Dynasty, including in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Paintings of different types of watermelon have also been found in ancient Egyptian inscriptions.
The sweet fruit we enjoy today is the result of mutations over the course of a thousand years of cultivation. Watermelon seeds were sold to traders passing through the trade routes in the Kalahari Desert in Africa. From there, the cultivation of the watermelon spread across Africa. The origin of the progenitor of the watermelon was in Africa, after which it spread into Mediterranean countries and other parts of Europe. By the end of the ninth century, watermelon cultivation became common in China and the rest of Asia.
According to “The Dictionary of American Food and Drink” by John Mariani, the word ‘watermelon’ first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615. The watermelon is commonly known as a type of melon, but it is not in the genus Cucumis. The outer rind of a watermelon is dark green with yellow stripes or spots. Over 300 varieties of watermelon are available in the U.S., ranging from red to white, and come in different shapes and sizes.
Watermelons are enjoyed in all shapes, sizes, and colors on National Watermelon Day. Delightfully sweet and tasty, they are the go-to fruit for summer. No picnic is complete without watermelons. Best enjoyed outdoors, watermelon-eating contests and seed-spitting contests are a tradition. As they consist of 90% water, smoothies, sherbets, cocktails, and other beverages are concocted from watermelons, today, and desserts featuring watermelon as the main ingredient are also prepared.
Learning how to pick a ripe watermelon is an art and a tradition. Many people utilize National Watermelon Day as an opportunity to educate themselves or others on how to tell whether a watermelon is ripe.
Nothing like enjoying a crisp juice watermelon with family and friends.
Enjoy!!
