English. The watermelon has long inspired artists, such as Giuseppe Recco's Still Life With Fruit (1634-1695). There are reports that it was first cultivated in the Nile Valley some time in the second millennium B.C. Some of the most interesting variants are the Orangeglo, Yellow Crimson Watermelon and Carolina Cross. But Paris is doubtful. Who discovered watermelon? Due to selective breeding, the watermelon’s flesh slowly changed color. Anonymous. With the progress we’ve made—5,000 years of watermelon domestication—we've never had it so good.”, Photograph by DEA, A. Dagli Orti/DeAgostini/ Getty, The 5,000-Year Secret History of the Watermelon, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/08/150821-watermelon-fruit-history-agriculture.html. Seeds of watermelon were found inside the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, who ruled from 1333 B.C. Last update: Jan 18, 2021 1 answer. The gene for the color red is paired with the gene that determines the sugar content. This is a nonessential amino acid. For a long time, Koreans thought Dr. Wu Jang Choon invented seedless watermelon, when in fact, he was the first Korean to demonstrated it in Korea. This fruit serves as a very good source of vitamin C. Today, there are about 1,200 varieties of this fruit. Scientists agree that the watermelon’s progenitor—the ur-watermelon, if you will—was cultivated in Africa before spreading north into Mediterranean countries and, later, to other parts of Europe. Michael T. Murray, ND. Likewise, you can also try other tasty and unique variants such as the Densuke Watermelon, Melitopolski and the Cream of Saskatchewan. Today, China grows more watermelon than any other country. In subsequent years, the watermelon would take on its familiar red hue. 1 decade ago. Captain James Cook and other explorers introduced watermelons to Hawaii and other Pacific islands. Best Answer. Egusis weren’t cultivated for their flesh, but for their edible seeds—the one part of the modern watermelon that nobody wants. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. He’s found evidence that the Egyptians began growing watermelon crops around 4,000 years ago, which predates farming in southern Africa. Ancient Hebrew texts and Egyptian tomb paintings reveal the origins of our favorite summertime fruit. The texts on tithing—the mandated practice of putting aside a portion of crops for priests and the poor—were especially informative. Seeds, as well as paintings of watermelons, also have been discovered in Egyptian tombs built more than 4,000 years ago, including King Tut’s. Contestant number two is the egusi melon from western Africa. “They were right. They knew agriculture.”. Which word comes from a latin word meaning lattice. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- He presented the watermelons in a gallery in Ginza, Tokyo. In China, guests offer watermelons as gifts to a hostess. The Carolina Cross variety can reach a staggering 200 pounds (91 kilograms)!. Watermelons are native to the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. A southern food historian named John Egerton reported the possibility that the fruit was introduced to the country through African slaves. The answer, according to Paris, is in the fruit’s name: water. Asked By adminstaff @ 30/06/2019 08:35 PM. The ancient Greek name for the watermelon was the pepon. In fact, even a traditional radish doesn’t resemble the watermelon radish. who invented the watermelon? Naturopathic Medicine. Again, Paris is skeptical. It wasn't until 1615, however, that the word "watermelon" first appeared in the English dictionary. In a 2012 study, researchers found that watermelon extract reduced blood pressure … Favorite Answer. Wu invented seedless watermelon was stuck in my mind. The first color sketches of the red-fleshed, sweet watermelon in Europe can be found in a medieval medical manuscript, the Tacuinum Sanitatis. The usual colors of its flesh are pink, yellow and orange. Watermelon is grown in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide for its large edible fruit, also known as a watermelon, which is a special kind of berry with a hard rind and no internal division, Is Watermelon Man made? Mother nature. Some varieties … 12 Answers. The angels, however, would have gagged if they had eaten the watermelon’s wild ancestor—a bitter fruit with hard, pale-green flesh. LOGIN TO VIEW ANSWER. But while the fruit was no longer hard and bitter, it had not yet fulfilled its destiny as the sweet, tender watermelon that we enjoy today. In Oklahoma, watermelon is officially considered a vegetable instead of a fruit. Meanwhile, the rind comes in shades of white, yellow and green. They’re sweet. Once it’s taken up by your nitric oxide system, it then promotes blood vessel dilation. As watermelons were bred to become even sweeter, their interior gradually changed color. Writings from 400 B.C. A popular American line dance honors the watermelon called the Watermelon Crawl. The history of That’s a key indicator that avattihim were watermelons, since the rinds were notoriously fragile. He also applied for and received a patent in the United States. In terms of composition, a single fruit is made up of 92 percent water and only about 6 percent sugar. He presented the watermelons in a gallery in Ginza, Tokyo. Cube watermelons were intended to fit more compactly in fridges and be able to be cut more easily (without rolling). Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family . Because of these features, people turn it into smoothies, drinks and other beverages for the hot summer season. Alphonse de Candolle, in 1882,[1] already considered the evidence sufficient to prove that watermelon was indigenous to tropical Africa The Tacuinum Sanitatis is rich in horticultural imagery. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, was also a fan, describing the pepo as a refrigerant maxime—an extremely cooling food—in his first century encyclopedia, Historia Naturalis. But, that’s where the consensus ends. A fair question to ask is why the Egyptians began cultivating wild watermelons in the first place. Cube watermelons were intended to fit more compactly in fridges and be able to be cut more easily (without rolling). Watermelon farming in Kenya: Annie Nyaga is one of the most successful watermelon farmers in Kenya. Watermelon was a favorite of Mark Twain, who once remarked that "When one has tasted (watermelon), he knows what the angels eat. Did the ancestral watermelon originally grow in Western Africa? 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