Watermelon Facts

Watermelon Facts

1. In Vietnamese culture, watermelon seeds are consumed during the Vietnamese New Year's holiday.  
2. The Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill on 17 April 2007 declaring watermelon as the official state vegetable, with some controversy surrounding whether a watermelon is a fruit.  
3. The town of Chinchilla in Queensland, Australia holds a biannual festival celebrating all things melon.  
4. A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight. As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C.  
5. Watermelons contain a significant amount of citrulline amino acid.  
6. Watermelon is also mildly diuretic.  
7. Watermelons contain large amounts of beta carotene.  
8. Watermelon with red flesh is a significant source of lycopene.  
9. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
10. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.
11. Watermelon is 92% water.
12. Watermelon’s official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the totanical family Curcurbitaceae.It is cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
13. By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
14. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
15. The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
16. In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN, grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinnes Book of World Records).
17. Watermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa.
18. Watermelons are native to southern Africa, but have been known in India since prehistoric times, and Egypt for 5-6000 years.
19. In China and Japan watermelon is a popular gift to bring a host. 
20. A watermelon was once thrown at the Greek Orator Demosthenes during a speech. Placing the watermelon upon his head, he thanked the thrower for providing him with a helmet to wear as he fought Philip of Macedonia.  
21. The first cookbook published in the United States in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
22. The word "watermelon" first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615. 
23. Watermelon doesn't contain any fat or cholesterol, is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C, and contains fiber and potassium.  
24. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide.
25. Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rind.