Who invented watermelon

It was prescribed as a diuretic and as a way to treat children with heatstroke by placing the cool, wet rind on their heads. 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 Naturali s.

Paris confirmed that the ancient Hebrew name for watermelons was avattihim. He found a trove of clues in three codices of Jewish Law that were compiled millennia ago in Israel: the Mishnah , Tosefta , and the Jerusalem Talmud. They knew agriculture. The texts on tithing—the mandated practice of putting aside a portion of crops for priests and the poor—were especially informative. For instance, farmers were instructed not to stack avatttihim, but lay them out individually.

The most exciting reveal in the Hebrew writings was a tract, written around A. And what do all of those fruits have in common? By the third century, the watermelon had graduated from desert crop to dessert. And if sweet watermelons were in Israel, they had likely spread across the Mediterranean. Descriptions from that era describe ripe watermelons as having a yellowish interior.

Likewise, a Byzantine-era mosaic in Israel, from around A. In subsequent years, the watermelon would take on its familiar red hue. As watermelons were bred to become even sweeter, their interior gradually changed color. The first color sketches of the red-fleshed, sweet watermelon in Europe can be found in a medieval manuscript, the Tacuinum Sanitatis. Italian nobility in the 14th century commissioned lavishly illustrated copies of this text, which was a guide to healthy living based on an 11th century Arabic manuscript.

The Tacuinum Sanitatis is rich in horticultural imagery. Some of the illustrations depict the distinctive oblong-shaped, green-striped watermelon being harvested and sold, with a few cut open revealing the red interior.

One scene depicts a farmer, a cheerful look on his face, as he drinks out of one end of the melon. Finally, a fruit fit for the angels. Today, million tons of watermelon are grown annually worldwide. All rights reserved.

Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Signs of an extreme planet found in another galaxy. Science Signs of an extreme planet found in another galaxy An odd x-ray signal hints that a Saturn-size world could be the first known planet lurking in the Whirlpool Galaxy 28 million light-years away.

Timber salvaged from New York City buildings reveals ancient climate. Environment Planet Possible Timber salvaged from New York City buildings reveals ancient climate Timbers taken from demolished buildings in the city can extend by hundreds of years how far back in time scientists can tell what the climate was. Helping kids overcome a fear of shots. An icy world is in meltdown, amid penguin population shifts. A southern food historian named John Egerton reported the possibility that the fruit was introduced to the country through African slaves.

Nowadays, more or less 44 U. The largest producers in the country are Texas, Florida and Georgia. In addition, Arizona and California are also considered amongst the top producers of the nation. In Japan, people plant cubic watermelons with the aid of glass boxes. Aside from its juicy, sweet and highly pleasant taste, many people love to eat this fruit because of its high nutritional content.

In terms of composition, a single fruit is made up of 92 percent water and only about 6 percent sugar. Because of these features, people turn it into smoothies, drinks and other beverages for the hot summer season. Thus, although produced from a seed, triploid watermelons bear no seeds.

Since pollination is necessary for the enlargement of the melon, a pollinator variety must be interplanted with seedless varieties to insure melon set. More recent improvement efforts seem to be aimed at producing smaller, "ice box" sized melons with good disease resistance and superior sweetness and taste. Additionally, we now have yellow, orange and white-fleshed varieties for added color appeal. Whatever the variety grown, watermelons prefer a sunny location having soil with good water-holding capacity and adequate drainage.

A slightly acid soil pH 5. As expected, they require a constant supply of water. However, excessive moisture especially as the fruits mature can lead to melon cracking and reduced sugar content.

Weeds can limit both yield and quality and must be controlled. Monitoring insect populations and early intervention using IPM tactics is recommended to minimize insect damage. Troublesome watermelon diseases include bacterial fruit blotch, fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, downy mildew, and gummy stem blight.

Viruses such as cucumber mosaic, squash mosaic, and watermelon mosaic also can be a problem. When possible, the use of genetically resistant varieties is the best way to combat diseases. Watermelons are considered ready for harvest when their "belly patch" portion of the rind that rests on the ground turns from white to creamy yellow.

Another indicator of ripeness is when the tendril located across from where the melon is attached to the vine turns from green to brown. Once harvested, watermelons can be stored at room temperature for about one week, or in refrigerated storage for two to three weeks. As mentioned earlier, watermelons are more than just sweet and juicy, and scientists are still discovering its health benefits. Its bright red color comes from the pigment lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant.

Recent studies revealed that, when combined with a healthy lifestyle, watermelon consumption can reduce the risk of both cancer and diabetes. Additionally, watermelon is a potent source of the amino acid citrulline which may help lower blood pressure. Other studies indicate watermelon consumption might be helpful in reducing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, while most do not consider it a "diet food," a cup of watermelon contains only about 45 calories.