ONE MORE WEEK 'TIL I START MY PHOTOBLOG! I would like to see what the general consensus is of the matter. Should I make a new blog and link it from here (like my friend Madison did), or should I just post the pictures along with my writing?
I found a really cool picture of watermelon on the 'net Tuesday afternoon. I find watermelons extremely tasty, but since I didn't know very much about them, I decided to look up some cool facts. :)
What do you think of when you hear the word watermelon? Some may think of summertime, barbecues, pool parties, or picnics in the park. Watermelon just so happens to be one of my most favorite fruits ever. Btdubs, these *are* facts. I looked them up, and cited them.
Watermelon is considered the most common type of melon, but, actually, it's a berry. It's a pepo, which is a berry with a hard outer rind and a fleshy center.
Some people think that they originated in southern Africa. There's also evidence of people cultivating watermelons in Egypt as early as the second millennium (BC). Watermelon seeds were even recovered from King Tutankhamen's tomb.
China began cultivating watermelons in the 10th century AD. China is now the world's single largest producer of watermelons. In the U.S., watermelon is grown in 44 states. The largest producers of these states are Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.
Japanese farmers have discovered a way to grow cubic watermelons. They first planted the fruits in a glass box, and let them assume the shape of the receptacle as they grew. They used a square to make the melons easier to stack and store. However, the square watermelons are usually more than double the price of normal ones. Pyramid shaped watermelons have also been developed and any polyhedral shape could be used.
Cubic Watermelon
Pyramidal Watermelon
[Both images above courtesy of :http://kuweight64.blogspot.com/2011/05/time-for-indulgence-time-for-watermelon.html]
A watermelon is about 6% sugar and 92% water. Contrary to popular belief, watermelon rinds are edible and nutritional. The rind contains large amounts of the amino acid citrulline. Citrulline is helpful in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, the regulation of the urea cycle, and for the relaxation of blood vessels. Interestingly enough, "citrulline" comes from the Latin word for watermelon, citrullus. Watermelons are also rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, and lycopene. Beta carotene and lycopene protect us from breast and skin cancer and heart disease. In China, rinds are stir-fried, stewed, or most commonly often pickled. In the southern U.S., pickled rinds are a common dish.
There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon, including:
Orangeglo
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/orangeglo-watermelon-zm0z11zrog.aspx
The Moon and Stars
http://themoodyfashionista.blogspot.com/2010/07/moon-stars-watermelon.html
Cream of Saskatchewan
http://agsyst.wsu.edu/watermelonphotos.html
Densuke
http://www.inquisitr.com/116292/densuke-watermelon-4000-japanese-fruit/
Watermelons play a part in various cultures throughout the world. During the Vietnamese New Year's holiday, Tết, watermelon seeds are a common snack. Oklahoma made watermelon their official state vegetable in 2007 (but there's still some controversy about watermelon being a vegetable....). In Canadian football, Saskatchewan Roughrider fans hollow out and wear watermelons as football helmets. The town of Chinchilla in Queensland, Australia holds a biannual festival celebrating all things melon.
Last but not least, the Ten-lined June beetle's nickname is the Watermelon Beetle, due to the pattern on its back which resembles a watermelon rind.
Some people think that they originated in southern Africa. There's also evidence of people cultivating watermelons in Egypt as early as the second millennium (BC). Watermelon seeds were even recovered from King Tutankhamen's tomb.
China began cultivating watermelons in the 10th century AD. China is now the world's single largest producer of watermelons. In the U.S., watermelon is grown in 44 states. The largest producers of these states are Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.
Japanese farmers have discovered a way to grow cubic watermelons. They first planted the fruits in a glass box, and let them assume the shape of the receptacle as they grew. They used a square to make the melons easier to stack and store. However, the square watermelons are usually more than double the price of normal ones. Pyramid shaped watermelons have also been developed and any polyhedral shape could be used.
Cubic Watermelon
Pyramidal Watermelon
[Both images above courtesy of :http://kuweight64.blogspot.com/2011/05/time-for-indulgence-time-for-watermelon.html]
A watermelon is about 6% sugar and 92% water. Contrary to popular belief, watermelon rinds are edible and nutritional. The rind contains large amounts of the amino acid citrulline. Citrulline is helpful in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, the regulation of the urea cycle, and for the relaxation of blood vessels. Interestingly enough, "citrulline" comes from the Latin word for watermelon, citrullus. Watermelons are also rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, and lycopene. Beta carotene and lycopene protect us from breast and skin cancer and heart disease. In China, rinds are stir-fried, stewed, or most commonly often pickled. In the southern U.S., pickled rinds are a common dish.
There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon, including:
Orangeglo
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/orangeglo-watermelon-zm0z11zrog.aspx
The Moon and Stars
http://themoodyfashionista.blogspot.com/2010/07/moon-stars-watermelon.html
Cream of Saskatchewan
http://agsyst.wsu.edu/watermelonphotos.html
Densuke
http://www.inquisitr.com/116292/densuke-watermelon-4000-japanese-fruit/
Watermelons play a part in various cultures throughout the world. During the Vietnamese New Year's holiday, Tết, watermelon seeds are a common snack. Oklahoma made watermelon their official state vegetable in 2007 (but there's still some controversy about watermelon being a vegetable....). In Canadian football, Saskatchewan Roughrider fans hollow out and wear watermelons as football helmets. The town of Chinchilla in Queensland, Australia holds a biannual festival celebrating all things melon.
Last but not least, the Ten-lined June beetle's nickname is the Watermelon Beetle, due to the pattern on its back which resembles a watermelon rind.
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