With spring now here and summer just around the nook , let ’s blab out about a favorite tender - weather solid food . Ladies and valet de chambre , coming in at 92 % body of water , the watermelon ! Mark Twain wrote inPuddin’head Wilsonthat " The rightful southerly watermelon is a blessing apart and not to be mentioned with common man thing . It is chief of this world ’s luxuriousness , king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the land . When one has taste it , he knows what the saint eat . " Could n’t have said it better myself . Now allow ’s get to some fact .
" ¢ harmonize to the Cambridge account of Food , " archeological data point suggest [ Citrullus vulgaris ] were first cultivated in ancient Egypt more than 5,000 years ago , where representations of watermelons appeared on wall paintings and watermelon seeds and leaf were deposited in Egyptian tomb [ … ] Their first record appearance in Great Britain go out to 1597 , " after which they made their way to the Americas where they have enjoy a rich cultural chronicle . Today , China is the enceinte producer of watermelons .
" ¢ Examples of Citrullus vulgaris sports fan in the early United States include Thomas Jefferson , who was an enthusiastic agriculturist of watermelons at his Monticello estate , and Henry David Thoreau . As write in a collection ofThoreau manuscriptsthat was published in 1999 : " I have no regard for those who can not raise melon vine or who avoid them as unwholesome . " / " When I go a - berrying in my boat or go-cart , I frequently carry watermelon for boozing . It is the most accordant and refreshing wine-coloured in a convenient cask , and most easily keep cool . "
" ¢ Watermelons get in many shapes and size . In 1954 , C. Fredric Andrus developed a breed of watermelon call the Charleston Gray , revolutionary because of its oval ( as pit to round ) " “ and therefore stackable " “ shape , as well as its resistance to disease . Even more stackable : thesquare Citrullus vulgaris …
" ¢ The largest watermelon on record belongs to Bill Carson of Arrington , TN , who in 1990 grew one that weighed in at 262 Pound . He may have been outgo for largest watermelon though bythis water towerin Luling , Texas .
" ¢ The skill behindthumping a watermelon vine . I do n’t claim to be an expert , but I have been known to cull a good one or two based on a hardy knock . I also love seeing men and women at the grocery store store twist down melons on the floor , listen intently for just the right note .
" ¢ One of my high shoal teachers used to say , " if it ’s wet and not yours , do n’t impact it . " But what if it’swatermelon snow ? This phenomena occurs only in very specific experimental condition , but induce impacted snow to take on a pink gloss and , in an even more impressive way , the aroma of a watermelon . Do n’t get too delirious , though . Turns outit ’s just algae .
" ¢ I ’m middling lazy , so I very much savour seedless watermelons . If you ’ve ever wonder how they number about , this description should place you straight : " The seedless condition is in reality sterileness leave from a crossbreed between two plants of inappropriate chromosome complement . The normal chromosome identification number in most living organism is referred to as 2n . Seedless watermelons are produced on extremely sterile triploid ( 3n ) plants , which lead from sweep a normal diploid ( 2n ) works with a tetraploid ( 4n ) . " Mmm , does that make you thirsty ?
Anyone have any near memory that let in watermelon ? And does anyone know why artificial watermelon relish smack nothing like a real watermelon ( but is , I must admit , still delicious ) ?
" ˜Dietribes ' appears every Wednesday . Food photos taken byJohanna Beyenbach . You might remember that name from our post about hercolorful diet .
