First of three parts
Ocean Robbins of Food Revolution Network writes about one of Summer’s favorite foods: Watermelons.
“Watermelons are among the largest and heaviest fruits available at most grocery stores, but is lugging them home worth the effort? Are they nutritious, or just a bunch of water and sugar? Here’s what to know about the nutrition benefits of watermelon — plus, the pros and cons of eating
“I’m gonna brag a little: The Food Revolution Network YouTube channel has some popular videos with tens of thousands of views. They feature deep conversations with thoughtful people, healthy recipes, and valuable and actionable advice on how to live a sustainable, delicious, and ethical life.
“Let’s contrast that with the videos that appear when you search YouTube for ‘drop a watermelon.’ The top listing, ‘dropping watermelon 45FT!!’ has been viewed nearly 17 million times, and the channel that produced it has eight million subscribers. Just below it, you can join 10 million viewers in watching the same creator drop a watermelon that was first frozen with liquid nitrogen. And under that, an Australian channel with six million subscribers shows what happens when you spray a watermelon with Line-X protective coating, and then drop it 150 feet.
“Clearly, the gravity-induced destruction of watermelons is a very important topic. But despite my desire to be hip and relevant, I’m going to leave that subject be, and instead talk about what happens when you, wait for it, actually eat watermelon.
Wild About Watermelon
Watermelon is one of the most beloved fruits pretty much everywhere in the world. They have the greatest world production of any tropical gourd, exceeding 63 million tonnes, according to the FAO, with China being the largest producer of watermelons, harvesting more than 38 million tonnes annually.
“And if you needed any more proof that Americans aren’t unique in their affection for the giant and beautiful watermelons, you should know that in Japan, you can buy a cube-shaped luxury watermelon, grown in a square box, at a high-end department store for several hundred dollars. Popular gifts, they are solely for display and harvested before ripening. Which made me a little sad; imagine how much more efficiently we could load our fridges if our favorite produce were all cubic or rectangular. Plus, they wouldn’t roll around, which would make them easier to cut. But I digress.
“In the United States, you’re more likely to find watermelons in their natural oblong or round forms for a lot less money. Which is a good thing because you’re probably going to eat yours and want more.
“The sweet flavor and distinct juiciness of watermelons make them popular fruits. But are watermelons too sweet to have health benefits? I mean, all that sugar! Plus, as the name says, they’re mostly water. Does that mean they lack nutrients?
“So, what’s the truth about watermelon? Is watermelon healthy, or is it just a large sack of sugar water in a rind? Are there any downsides to eating it? How else can you prepare the fruit besides just slicing it? And where do they come from?
History of Watermelons
“While watermelons are sometimes thought of as the “all-American” Summer fruit (at least, by Americans), they’re actually native to Africa. Archaeological remains of watermelon seeds have been discovered in northeastern Africa, dating from approximately 5,000 years ago.
“The oldest archaeological finds of dessert watermelons (yes, that’s ‘dessert,’ as in the sweet ending of a meal, not ‘desert’ that is commonly associated with a lack of water) are from Egypt and Sudan. In a tomb dating to at least 4,000 years ago, scientists found an image of a large, striped, oblong fruit on a tray, further suggesting that the enjoyment of watermelons dates back thousands of years. Sadly, there were no artistic renderings of seed-spitting contests.
“The oldest references to watermelons being sweet are in codices of Jewish laws from Israel dating to the time of the Roman Empire. In fact, the Greek word pepon, Latin pepo, and Hebrew avattiah were all used to describe large, wet fruits with a thick rind, a description that perfectly matches our suspect, the watermelon.
“If you close your eyes and think of watermelon, you’ll probably come up with the classic green striped oblong, or the slice of red with black seeds and a white/green rind. That’s the classic dessert watermelon. But there are two additional species of the plant. These are the citron (mainly used for preserves and pickles) and the egusi (which is popular in West Africa, and grown for its seeds). As for the more common types of watermelons, there are a lot more than you probably realize.
Different types of watermelon
“Watermelon is a beautiful fruit as is, but its diversity is truly stunning. While many watermelon varieties can look similar on the outside, their flesh can come in a rainbow of colors, including red, pink, orange, yellow, or even white. Cutting into a watermelon can become its very own ‘species reveal’ party, without the explosions.
“Watermelon rinds, on the other hand, are typically green, but don’t always have stripes. Solid green rinds or speckled rinds, as is the case with the Moon & Star variety, are possible. All varieties come in round or oblong shapes (when they’re not crammed into growing boxes for aesthetics).
Continued at thevoice.us/watermelon-healthful-benefits-helps-heart-stops-cancer