Content
- The origin of the watermelon
- The descent of the watermelon from the tsamma melon
- The triumph of watermelon around the world
- Today's growing areas of watermelon
- Tips & Tricks
The origin of the watermelon
The vitamin-rich and refreshing watermelon is now fresh or pickled in most countries around the world to the diet. So it is hard to imagine for some people in this country that this fruit has a thoroughly exotic origin.
The descent of the watermelon from the tsamma melon
The watermelon has its botanical origin in Africa, where the wild form of the tsamma melon still grows today and is also used. However, this does not like the sweet-tasting known fruit on a sweet pulp. Rather, the pulp of the tsamma melon tastes rather bitter, but the abundant in the wild form cores are roasted in oil or ground to flour and used for baking bread.
The triumph of watermelon around the world
Several centuries ago, the foundation was laid for today's spread of watermelon. At that time, sailors used the fruits and their seeds for a few weeks as food on longer passages. So the watermelon came to North, Central and South America. About early growing areas in Persia and ancient Egypt was the breeding of watermelon but also in the Orient and to Asia.
Today's growing areas of watermelon
The main season of watermelon ranges in Central Europe from about May to September. During this time, watermelons are harvested in the European growing areas and can be imported relatively cheaply from the following countries due to the relatively short transport routes:
While the larger Crimson Sweet variety is usually only imported from European production areas due to its high weight of 7 to 15 kilograms, the smaller Sugar Baby variety is today usually available all year round. It usually comes from one of the following countries:
If you prefer premature seed, you can also plant watermelons in your own garden. The fruits are ripe in a sunny spot or in the greenhouse in late summer or autumn.
Tips & Tricks
For watermelons, the correct time to harvest is indicated by the yellow discoloration of the fruit on the ground.