1 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to save her a protection of I 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: heart radio and stuff media. I'm Ann and I'm Loryen Vogelbaum. 3 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: And today we're talking about watermelon. Yeah, I'm so excited. 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: I actually used to not like watermelon, and I look 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: back on those days because I was a kid, and 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: that's like prime watermelon time. Oh yeah, yeah, because you 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: can eat as much as you want. Grown ups will 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: just give you an entire melon essentially if you want 9 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: in the summer. Yeah, what was wrong? I don't know, dude, 10 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: But I did have this friend. You know, you'all have 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: that troublemaker friend, and mine was Colin, and we sigh 12 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: each other every summer at the beach, and she would 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: always convince me to spit these watermelon seeds of people 14 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: and see if we could who could hit the most people, 15 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: who could get the furthest and uh we got in 16 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: drople every year. Colin. It was family members though, which 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: I for some reason makes it better to me. It 18 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: wasn't stream strangers. Strangers that's a little bit gross. If 19 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: it's family members, it's like, well you have to put 20 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: up with ye Uh. Yeah. Now I love watermelion, and 21 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: my mom and I we used to go on these 22 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: really long walks and we would make watermelons. So she's 23 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: at the end and it was the best. That's lovely. 24 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, it's it's another thing that I shouldn't really eat. Yeah, 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: they just make me super burpy, like like cucumbers too. 26 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: And I feel like there has to be a similar 27 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: I don't know, like it's as bad. It's it's I 28 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: can have like a little bit, but yeah, just I 29 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: can't like have a whole slice of watermelon, which is 30 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: so rewarding to just it's so sweet, juicy, yeah, fresh tasting. Yeah. 31 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: My friend has this thing she does that I love, 32 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: where she when we're picking out water from she taps 33 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: on them like she's some kind of like archaeologist and 34 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: puts her ear close. It's like, oh, yeah, this is 35 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: a good way. Is that really a thing? It is? 36 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: It is a thing? Ye knows what she's doing. Yeah, 37 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: if they if they sound kind of hollow, if they 38 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: make like a little if they make like a sort 39 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: of like a like a dupe instead of like a 40 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: the dupe is when it's kind of ready. Okay, yeah, 41 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 1: all right, so she did no okay. Um. July is 42 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: National Watermelon Month. Uh, and August three is National Watermelon Day. Confusingly, yes, 43 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. You could spread it out, punctuate the 44 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: end of watermelon months with one day, or you just 45 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: go bananas so many fruit fruit buns. Goodness. Anyway, this 46 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: brings us to our question watermelon. What is it? Well, 47 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: a watermelon is the fruit of a flowering vine in 48 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: the gourd family. Cute, curbit, tasty. I we got an 49 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: email about how to say this a long time back, 50 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: and I've forgotten your mnemonic device, kind listener, yes, and 51 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: our email boxes. A. It's it's a mess. It's a 52 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: wolf full mess, cannot be searched. So so I hope 53 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: I got it right this time. Um. I checked four 54 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: vo dot com. Thank you for dot com, thank you. Um. Yes, 55 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: so in that same family are cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, and lufa. 56 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: What is lufa? Alufa like the natural plant lufa? That? 57 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: Um that the shower scrubby lufa's are are based on 58 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: that the plastic ones are based on yea yeah wow 59 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: type of goord. My brain cannot handle this information right now, Lauren, Okay, 60 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: all right, back to back to watermelons. Um, from that 61 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: watermelon vine. Though you cannot take a watermelon cutting and 62 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: have it grow. You have to plant seeds every year 63 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: for your crop. More on seedless watermelons later on. Um. 64 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: The watermelon is summer fruit. They need a lot of 65 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: sun and water to grow and will not tolerate frost 66 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: and hey that fruit. There are over one thousand two 67 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: different varieties of watermelon that folks have developed, and they 68 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: vary widely in appearance. But what you're basically looking at 69 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: is a round or oblong fruit unless you've mucked with 70 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: that during growing, and more on that later too. Um. 71 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: It'll generally have a firm, thin, inedible outer rind encasing 72 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: a thicker, stiff, bitter but edible inner rind itself encasing 73 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: a large proportion of super juicy sweet edible pulp shot 74 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: through a seeds, and the outer rind could range in 75 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: color and pattern from yellow to orange to green to 76 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: nearly black with stripes or marbles of pale green or 77 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: yellow and uh. That inner rind is usually white, and 78 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: the flesh will range from a white to yellow to 79 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: pink to red. The seeds range from white to red 80 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: to green to brown to black. Never seen red seeds 81 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: in a watermelon that sounds amazing. It does. The botanical 82 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: name is Citrellis lnatis um, and it was named as 83 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: a physical description. Citrellis indicates that folks thought it looked 84 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: sort of like a citrus fruit, and lenatis means wooly 85 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: or downy, because although watermelons rinds are smooth, their vines 86 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: and leaves are sort of fuzzy. The characteristic fresh smell 87 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: of a watermelon is created when you cut into it. 88 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: Breaking its cell walls releases enzymes that help oxidize various 89 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: other compounds in the fruit into aroma compounds um, and 90 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: one of those is the same compound largely responsible for 91 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: the smell of fresh cut grass. Oh huh, Yeah, how interesting. 92 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: We eat watermelon in all kinds of ways. Watermelon pudding 93 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: is popular in Italy. Watermelon seeds are popular in China. 94 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: Pickled watermelon rinds um. You can find this one at 95 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: one of my favorite Disney World restaurants in that I 96 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: found out courtesy of a pro tip of Holly Fry. 97 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: She's full of Disney pro tips. Some of you might 98 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: know that, um and yeah, I remember when we had 99 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: that basil feta cheese watermelon thing. Yeah, that was. That 100 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: was one of the one of the few times what 101 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: was it. Was it feta or was it um? Was 102 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: it lemon curd? I can't remember anyway, it was so 103 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: good whatever it was, I was like, this is worth it, 104 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: Like I will eat this watermelon for this purpose. Yeah. 105 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: I mean it's been coming up on a year and 106 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: we still and then like watermelon. UM. Russians make watermelon beer, 107 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: so do we, so do we? UM. My mom and 108 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: I did a vodka milon a couple of years back 109 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: and it backfired and was hilarious because you're supposed to 110 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: like rotate it so one side doesn't get to vodka, 111 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: but we didn't do that. So like every slice, every 112 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: little pie should be like this is either going to 113 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: burn really badly or taste like regular watermelon. It was 114 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: just a fun, fun experiment like a Russian roulette watermelon 115 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: surprise and everybody. UM. All the designs that you can do, 116 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: like you can make a desk of watermelon carving. Ses 117 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: art for Mexico's Diatla Smuerzo features a lot of art 118 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 1: with watermelon. UM. Watermelons were also used in racist caricatures 119 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: of African Americans and more on that later. UM there's 120 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: an American line dance in honor of the watermelon called 121 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: the Watermelon Crawl. Okay, Um, there's that rubber band experiment. Sure, yeah, yeah, 122 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: eventually you can just break one right open. Yeah. I've 123 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: never done it me neither. It looks cool, though I 124 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: feel like it'd be I don't know, I feel like 125 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: there'd be a lot of hurting of your fingers. Oh yeah, 126 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: I hate a rubber band. They're terrible. Use them in 127 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: your scars, yes, mental mostly, But apparently in Japan people 128 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: give watermelons as gifts and sometimes use them sort of 129 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: like a pinata um And I didn't want to mention there. 130 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: I walked to work every day and there's like a 131 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: crew of people. I see the same people who also 132 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: commute on the belt line to work. And there's this 133 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: guy and he has one of those watermelon helmets, and 134 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: he always has the biggest smile on his face. And 135 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,679 Speaker 1: I think it's because he knows he looks so goofy, 136 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: but he's just embracing it. And that's amazing. Yes. Um. 137 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: Something else that's amazing is some of the nutrition facts 138 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:21,679 Speaker 1: about watermelont It's water, which is the highest of any fruit. Yeah. Uh, 139 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: it's got also despite that, like a lot of vitamins 140 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: A and C, about a third each of your daily 141 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: recommended value per wedge, which is, according to nutritional science, 142 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: approximately one sixteenth of a melon. Oh, I don't know 143 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: how the math works out anyway. Um, they do have 144 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: a little bit of protein, no fat to speak of, 145 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: some potassium, smattering of other vitamins and minerals, and uh, 146 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: it's also high in this antioxidant called lycopene. It's got 147 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: more than tomatoes do, which is really impressive. It's what 148 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: gives both tomatoes and red watermelons their color, and antioxidants 149 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: being things that, under certain circumstances, can help your body 150 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: prevent certain diseases like cancer and heart disease. It's also 151 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: got a lot of an amino acid called citraline, which 152 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: also may help prevent heart disease because it's associated with 153 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: a with a widening of blood vessels. For this reason, 154 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: watermelon is sometimes misreported as nature's viagraa, which it is not. Nope, 155 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: that's just not how that works. Nope, we do have 156 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: some numbers for you. Around the world, we grow an 157 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: annual one million tons of watermelons grown in nineties six countries, 158 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: but China is the largest producer in the US. Americans 159 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 1: by the most watermelon during the month of June. I 160 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: believe Cornelia, Georgia. It's a big watermelon festival in June. Yeah. Yeah, 161 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: there are a number of watermelon festivals around the country. 162 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: It's a popular festival fruit. Yes, it is. For watermelon growers, 163 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: I love this. The U s d A recommends at 164 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: least one beehive per acre. Uh. Those festivals tend to 165 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: have a lot of different competitions growing, seeds, spitting, speed, eating, 166 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: and there are all kinds of watermelon World records out there. 167 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: The heaviest uh three hundred and fifty point five pounds, 168 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: it's a hundred and fifty kilos. The most watermelons on 169 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: a single plant a hundred and thirty one. It's usually 170 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 1: about like six most people involved in a watermelon eating 171 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: contest two fifty nine. Most expensive watermelons sold at auction 172 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: seven thousand, four hundred and eighty nine dollars converted from 173 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: Chinese en most paper aircraft thrown into watermelons in one minute. 174 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: That's a thing. And they you know, and then and 175 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: then there's all the ways to break open watermelons most 176 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: smashed with a punch in one minute seventy six, most 177 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: crushed with the head in one minute, most split with 178 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: a karate chop in one minute forty two. Most self 179 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: chopped using your own stomach as a cutting board, using 180 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: like a machete in one minute. There's a whole subcategory 181 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: of chopping watermelons of people's stomachs. I don't really understand it. 182 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: My favorite might be most chopped on the stomach of 183 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: a person lying on a bed of nails in one minute. 184 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: That record is fifty four. The fastest time to crush 185 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: three watermelons between one's thighs is ten eight eight seconds. 186 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: Human engineeringy man, I'm telling you, like, not only do 187 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 1: we do these things and when we compete the best, Yes, 188 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: someone went, I can beat that. I can. I can 189 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: do this. I'll do it lying on a beddom new chop. 190 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: And yes, young Annie may have been pleased to know 191 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: that the record for the farthest distance a watermelon seed 192 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: has been spit is seventy ft and two inches. That's 193 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: just under twenty three and is almost the width of 194 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: an Olympic swimming pool. I don't think I ever came 195 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: close to that. No, no, no. Apparently Guinness is like, 196 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: this is one of our older records, Like it's from 197 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: like the mid nineties, and they're like, no one's beating 198 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: it so far. I mean, that's impressive. The person was gifted. Yes, yes, 199 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: I can only hope to to half that. Maybe maybe 200 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: I used to we Colin and I would stand like 201 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: on top of stairs, wait till my brothers came. And 202 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: that's amazing. Mark Twain once said to eat watermelons is 203 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: to quote taste what the angels eat, and described it 204 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: as chief of this world's luxuries, came by the grace 205 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: of God, over all the fruits of the earth. When 206 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. 207 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: It was not a Southern watermelon that you've took. We 208 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: know it because she repented so big fan. Essentially, that's amazing. Yes, yes, um, well, 209 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: we've we've got some some history of the watermelon. But 210 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: first we've got a quick break for a word from 211 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsored, Thank you so. 212 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: Due to some confusing taxonomy stemming from the eighteenth century, 213 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: nailing down the watermelon's history has presented a bit of 214 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: a challenge. Okay, yes, um, the watermelons ancestors were small 215 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,839 Speaker 1: and bitter, with a hard, pale green flesh, which is 216 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: a fire cry from what they are today, and the 217 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: edible fruit was so hard it would often have to 218 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: be pounded before folks could eat it. W Yeah, that 219 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: is that is different. Yeah, extremely um. These most likely 220 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: were first cultivated in Africa over five thousand years ago, 221 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: and from there these early watermelons spread north to Europe 222 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: and the Mediterranean. Five thousand year old watermelon seeds discovered 223 00:13:53,920 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: at a settlement in Libya suggest we've been eating them fiver. Yeah. 224 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: The presence of these seeds also suggest that the Egyptians 225 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: were growing watermelons as hard as back as four thousand 226 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: years ago. Seeds were found in King Tut's tombs, and 227 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: the ancient Egyptians had paintings featuring watermelons. In one of 228 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: the paintings, the watermelon is oval, not the more rounded 229 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: shape of the wild watermelon, which means they had probably 230 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: cultivated at this point as well. Records show that watermelons 231 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: were being grown in India around this time, and there 232 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: is a Sanskrit word for watermelon. Some historians have wondered 233 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: why take the time to grow a difficult bit of 234 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: fruit in the first place, and the raining theory is 235 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: water and uncontaminated water at that, and durability. A watermelon 236 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: kept in the shade can last for weeks or even months, 237 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: and some speculate that's why watermelon seeds were found in 238 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: the tombs of Pharaohs, to last their long journey to 239 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: the afterlife. This is also probably why watermelons spread with traders. 240 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: It's essentially a portable water cooler. Yeah, but they did 241 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: want to improve the daste. I can see that. And 242 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: one dominant gene caused that bitter flavor, and it was 243 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: easy to breed it out. Ancient Greeks recommended watermelon as 244 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: a diuretic or as a heat joke. Here for children 245 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: to you just place the rind on their head and 246 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: pressed it um plenty of the elder named it as 247 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: the tip of the top of cooling foods. Sure, I 248 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: mean it's got hydration, which is good, Yes, yes, it does. 249 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: Ancient Hebrew text listed a watermelon as a tithing fruit, 250 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: in the same category as pomegranates, grapes, and figs, which 251 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: means it was probably sweet by the other writings from 252 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: around this time described the watermelon as having a yellowy 253 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: orange flesh, and as growers got better and better at 254 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: breeding for desired traits, it took on it's more familiar 255 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 1: to us red color. The gene for that red color 256 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: is tied to the gene for sugar content. By medieval times, 257 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: European depictions of watermelon showed that it was read at 258 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: that point. And there are a lot of paintings a 259 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: watermelon by the way, um, And there's also a lot 260 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: of deep analysis of these paintings. Um. But it's cool. 261 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: You can see what they used to look like on 262 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: the inside. There's one painting in particular that caused kind 263 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: of an Internet I don't want I won't say battle, 264 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: but people are like, how do you know watermelons just 265 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: look like that when they're young and not but sure 266 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: it's And other people were like, we do know that thing. 267 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: That's a different type of watermelon. You can see the 268 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: chain anyway. I found it really interesting and unfolded on 269 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: redd of course, of course, of course, um. China had 270 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: cultivated watermelons by tenth century CE. Muslim invaders in Europe 271 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: brought with them watermelons, and it was introduced to Native 272 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: Americans in the fifteen hundreds. They existed in Massachusetts by 273 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: sixty nine, and enslaved people from Africa also helped introduce 274 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: watermelon to the America's Native Americans of Florida were cultivating 275 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: watermelons by sixteen sixty four and seventeen nine watermelons were 276 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: around in the Colorado River area, and the fruit had 277 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: made it out to the Midwestern States by sixteen seventy three. 278 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: But what about that name? The name it first appeared 279 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: in the English Dictionary in sixteen fifteen, and by this 280 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: this point it was a fairly common item at grocery stores. 281 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: It was typically eaten fresh and sometimes fermented into wine. 282 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 1: And at this point I want to say that we 283 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: went on a brief aside. Sometimes when we do an 284 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: ad break, we take an actual break and have a 285 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: little bit of conversation among like the two of us 286 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: and superproducer Andrew and uh. And this one was about um, 287 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: whether or not there are any mentions of watermelon in 288 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: Shakespeare's works. And I googled briefly to no avail um 289 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:45,679 Speaker 1: that and melons in general. Um. However, I need to 290 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: give a shout out to a Middle Georgia Derby Demon 291 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: team member, a roller Derby, lady who goes by the 292 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: name Slaughtermelon. It's wonderful, it's beautiful. Yes, it came up 293 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: during the search, it did. And I personally hope that 294 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: you wear one of those watermelon helmets, but maybe painted 295 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: like what a spray of blood girl. Anyway, we're fans 296 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: of the name. Yes, yes, and heck ya get that, Derby. 297 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:18,239 Speaker 1: Let's talk about a specific variety of watermelon. Okay, So 298 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: going back to the American Revolutionary War, John Franklin Lawson, 299 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: a military officer, was captured by the British in eighty three. 300 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: He was shipped off to the West Indies, and on 301 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: the journey, the Scottish captain gave him a sweet slice 302 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: of watermelon, and Lawson loved it. Loved it so much 303 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: that he saved all the seeds, and when he was 304 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: able to return to his home state of Georgia, he 305 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: planted them. The resulting watermelon was dubbed the Lawson Makes Sense. 306 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: Sometime around eighteen forty in South Carolina, a man named 307 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: Nathaniel Napoleon Bradford crossbred the Lawson with the Mountain Sweet watermelon, 308 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: creating the Bradford Watermelon. It was a success um and 309 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: a well known and highly desired watermelon. By the eighteen sixties, 310 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: it was sweets and the rind was soft. Yeah, yeah, 311 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 1: it was. It was really easy to cut into I've 312 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: read accounts that you can cut into it with a 313 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: butter knife and the flesh was so sweet, just unimaginably delicious. Yeah. 314 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: I think it was the twelve point five on the bricks, right, Yeah, 315 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 1: which is very sweet. Yes. People would boil the juice 316 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: down into molasses, or they would distill it into brandy. 317 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 1: Any farmers able to get their hands on the seeds 318 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: to grow the Bradford took precautions to safeguard their crops 319 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: from thieves. Some went as far as sleeping in their 320 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: fields gun in hand. Some took it a step further 321 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: and poisoned, poisoned a handful of watermelons and posted up 322 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: a sign that read pick at your own risk. And 323 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: in some cases farmers accidentally mixed up the safe, deadly 324 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 1: watermelons and accidentally poisoned themselves in their families. Holy heck, 325 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: Holy heck. Indeed, why With the gaining popularity of electricity 326 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: towards the end of the nineteenth century, some farmers outfitted 327 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: these Bradford watermelons with electric wires, and anyone attempting to 328 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: abscond with the melons would be sacked. If you remove 329 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 1: horse and cattle thieves, Watermelon patches saw more deaths than 330 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 1: any other agricultural category. What okay, But so quickly our 331 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:31,199 Speaker 1: attention shift, our affections wane. Because of the difficulty of 332 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: shipping and storing the Bradford it fell from popularity. The 333 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: last commercial crop was planted in nineteen two. It would 334 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 1: have died out, but the Bradford family continued to plant 335 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: them in their backyards from generation to generation, and we 336 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: actually have an update on that. Towards the end. After 337 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: the American Civil War is probably when the racist trope 338 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: that African Americans love watermelons first took root or it 339 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: first got like really popularized. Um. Since free black people 340 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: grew and eight and sold watermelon, it came to symbolize 341 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: their newly gained freedom, which for angry and racist white 342 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: people was unwanted and also represented in their minds on 343 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: cleanliness and laziness. UM. This was first depicted in a 344 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: newspaper cartoon in the US in eighteen sixty nine, and 345 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: soon this tripe was everywhere, and it was embedded into 346 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: American culture by nineteen hundred. Something I read said people 347 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: would have been surprised it was so new. Um. In 348 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: an eighteen eighty election season in South Carolina, the state legislature, 349 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: which is a majority black, was accused of spending state 350 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: money on watermelon. Yeah, a post emancipation watermelon feast was 351 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: depicted in the nineteen fifteen white supremacist film Birth of 352 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: a Nation. Um. And to this day, every few months 353 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: we see a story in the news of someone or 354 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: some group getting into trouble for using it to mock 355 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 1: African Americans. It's kind of similar to what we discussed 356 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: in our fried Chicken episode, right, absolutely, mm hmm. And 357 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: prior to this, the watermelon was derogatorily seen among the 358 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: Europeans as a quote poor Arabs feast or the food 359 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: of Italians. Um and slaves would sometimes hide a watermelon 360 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: in the in the United States and their basket full 361 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: of cotton when they didn't meet their quota and kid 362 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 1: at the end of the day. A journalist in Sudan 363 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 1: in noted that watermelons were stored in cool, shady areas 364 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: for the duration of the dry season, and every now 365 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: and then they would be knocked around to extract their water. 366 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: Until around the nineteen forties, watermelons were hard to find 367 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: in good condition in grocery stores. Yeah that the rinds 368 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 1: where it were thinner. Um, they didn't ship or store 369 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: very well. Um. And therefore most people who ate them 370 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,640 Speaker 1: grew them or got them from a local grower. And 371 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: therefore many watermelons were bread to to grow large and 372 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 1: to have lots of seeds. Kind of the said of 373 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: what we like these days. Yes, which speaking of seedless watermelons, um, 374 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: they were first developed in Japan. Genetics aside, okay, all right, 375 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: so what happened was in seven a couple of researchers 376 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: out of the Carnegie Institution in New York. We're looking 377 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: into chemically affecting plants chromosomes in order to uh, to 378 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: make them do stuff. Yeah sure, um. Lots of living things, 379 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: you see, including we humans, usually have two sets of 380 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: chromosomes that interact with each other and thus produce all 381 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 1: of your physical traits. You've got one set from your mom, 382 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,479 Speaker 1: one set from your dad. They interact, make you, make 383 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: you do um. Remember like mendel and it's p plants. Yeah, um. 384 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 1: Adding more sets of chromosomes means that you can tinker 385 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: with some of those interactions. Um. And there was a 386 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 1: Hearst newspaper at the time. Oh that guy, um and 387 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: this this newspaper was all like, was all like, they're 388 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: trying to make super giant plants and people. It may 389 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: be caterpillars. I don't have any particular evidence that they 390 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: were trying to do that. I have seen that movie Them, 391 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: which I think is a documentary giant. Yes, no, um, 392 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 1: but yeah, So very quickly after this, this pioneering genetic 393 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: researcher in Japan by the name of A Hitoshi Kata 394 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: applied this technique to watermelons to try to make them seedless. 395 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: And Okay, this involves some chromosome alt science that I 396 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: do not understand, but I'm pretty sure this is the 397 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,919 Speaker 1: brief rundown broad Strokes. So, okay, when you grow your 398 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: average watermelon, you're getting the pollen or sperm carriers from 399 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: the male flowers, which contain the one set of chromosomes 400 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: to go snuggle up to the egg cells within the 401 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: female flowers, which contain the separate set of chromosomes. Yeah, 402 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: the two combine, and a fruit with both sets will 403 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: grow for the purpose of creating and protecting and dispersing seeds. 404 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: But let's say you muck with things by chemically engineering 405 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: plant cells to produce an extra copy of its chromosomes 406 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: before it starts like really growing in earnest um. The 407 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: resulting plant will grow normally, but it won't produce functioning 408 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: seeds because it's got sort of conflicting data from its 409 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,640 Speaker 1: three chromosome sets. Uh. The seeds will start to develop 410 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: like we transparent husks, but then fail to fill out. 411 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 1: And that's why seedless watermelons do have the little like 412 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,239 Speaker 1: kind of fibery bloops that you might have noticed and um, 413 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 1: or you might have totally ignored because they're pretty pretty. Um. 414 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 1: These plants also will not produce working pollen, so you 415 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 1: have to plant them next to normal melons to get 416 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: them to grow fruit. Um. Most watermelon plants, by the way, 417 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: can the normal ones quote unquote normal can pollinate themselves, Um, 418 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,159 Speaker 1: but these cannot. Yeah. Anyway, Yeah, this is what that 419 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,480 Speaker 1: guy started working doon. Yes, and it was approved upon 420 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: in Indiana in the nineteen fifties. Um. And I will 421 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: say this is also this whole process. It's why seedless 422 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 1: watermelons are still more expensive to this day. You have 423 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: to go through that like one two step process to 424 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: to to grow them, whereas other melons can be grown 425 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: from saved seeds. Yeah. Um hat tipped by the way 426 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,959 Speaker 1: to botanist in the Kitchen Dot blog for putting up 427 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:25,639 Speaker 1: a really good explanation of this. If you want a 428 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 1: better explanation than I provided, go over there. It's called 429 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,919 Speaker 1: it's called watermelons the triple threat or something like that. Yeah, 430 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: which because it's got three chromosomes. Yeah, yeah, Anyway, horticulturists 431 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: at us D, a vegetable breeding laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina, 432 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: Charles Frederick Andrews was determined to come up with a 433 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: disease and wilt resistant watermelon in the nineteen forties. He 434 00:26:54,840 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: did quote that gray watermelon from Charleston stackable and adept. Yeah, 435 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: it's got a real thick rind. Many of today's watermelons 436 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 1: have been crossbred with the Charleston gray at some point 437 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: in their history. On New Year's Eve in nineteen seventy six, 438 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: Leo Gallagher smashed his first watermelon on stage. He he 439 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: later told People Magazine, I didn't plan to do it. 440 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: The next day the club manager called and said, you'd 441 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:22,640 Speaker 1: better do it again tonight. We're sold out, buddy. Yeah, 442 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: reminded me of the Dave thing I totally forgot about. 443 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, the square watermelon. Yes, this was developed 444 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: in Japan as well. Yeah. A horticulturist and artist by 445 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: the name of Tomoyuki oh No patented this transparent molding 446 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: frame for fruit in nineteen seventy eight. You placed the 447 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: growing fruit in this like maybe glass maybe plexiglass frame, 448 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:50,880 Speaker 1: and as it grows, it will mold itself out into 449 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: the shape of the frame. Uh. He first debuted square 450 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: watermelons in a gallery exhibition, but they were on the 451 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: market just a year later, by nine. They can super expensive, 452 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: like three dollars, Yeah, I heard. I heard about one 453 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: that was over eight hundred when shipped overseas to Russia. 454 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: In Japan, you can find watermelons in several different shapes. 455 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: A heart shaped one started gaining popularity in two thousand nine, 456 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,719 Speaker 1: and some of them have faces like human faces. Dang 457 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: pyramid watermelons. Yeah. Most of these are are sold as 458 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 1: decorative gifts. They're very fun to look at. I recommended 459 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: there's one that's like around dynamite watermelon advertised as quote 460 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: an explosion of flavor and packaged like dynamite. Okay, I 461 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: love this, Okay. In two thousand seven, the Oklahoma State 462 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: Senate named the watermelon the state vegetable. Okay, I mean 463 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: it's like in terminology wise, like you can say that 464 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:00,479 Speaker 1: you're growing the fruit watermelon for vegetable per this is 465 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: like that, that's a that's a thing that you'll see 466 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: a lot on like gardening blogs, like like he uses 467 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: ornamental vegetable. But it caused kind of a it's funny debate. Yeah, 468 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: I can I can see that. Um, going back to 469 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: the dynamite thing, okay, Um, in entire fields of watermelons 470 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: started spontaneously exploding in China. Oh wow. What probably happened 471 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: was that the farmers were we're growing a thin rind 472 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: type of melon, and the weather was like really extra rainy, 473 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: say so they were soaking up a lot more moisture 474 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: than usual, and the farmers perhaps overused this growth promoting chemical. 475 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: But yeah, conflation of effects, like the whole acres over 476 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: like a couple of days. Wow, it must have been 477 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: such a mess. It must have been one of the 478 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: things I when I was searching this I didn't really 479 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: include it, but I'll put it in. Here is a 480 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: watermelon girl. You heard of watermelon watermelon girl. I don't 481 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: know what it was for, but it's like this. This 482 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: woman was using a catapult and she was trying to 483 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: hit um a suit of armor with an armor with 484 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: a watermelon. And she had like a coach shouting at 485 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: her like you can do it, you can do it, 486 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: and she's pulling it way back and through some just 487 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: terrible going. I don't know, all this thing came together 488 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: and the catapult turned her and it took her into 489 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: the face and it like blew up, you know. Um, 490 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: well that's good. Yeah yeah, watermelon girl. This reminds me 491 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: of when we did our Pineapple episode and they explode 492 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: if you let them ferment for too long while, you know, 493 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 1: oh sure, yeah, if they start fermenting. Yeah, okay. So 494 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: back to the Bradford's in they decided it was time 495 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: to bring back their family melon and they grew four 496 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty five. On their site, you can buy seeds, 497 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: pickle grind, and molasses. And I think they are trying 498 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: to they're trying to I know they're trying to jump 499 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: to one thousand. There's a really fun story of like 500 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: a historian scholar wanting to bring back this melon in 501 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: one day waking up and he has an email from 502 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: the Bradford It's happening. It's finally real. I can try 503 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: this watermelon. It's apparently difficult to to keep because you 504 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: have to keep them so far away from any other 505 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: watermelon because they'll they'll cross pollinate and and maybe come 506 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: out differently. So yeah, yeah, um, as of seedless watermelons 507 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: were thirteen times more grown than seeded watermelons in America. Yeah. 508 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: And in the future, some watermelon researchers are envisioning personal 509 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: sized watermelons, not like the ones that are like like 510 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: basketball size that you might see in the grocery store today, 511 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: something more like the size of an apple with with 512 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: an edible skin. Oh yeah, how interesting. No, I'm like, 513 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: I would buy that gimmick naked, and I will buy it. 514 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: I immediately went to like, you know those coconuts you 515 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: you walk around with, it's alcohol in there. Watermelon. We 516 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 1: we both have we we're both clearly thinking good. Yeah, 517 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: we've got ideas, got ideas on this show, not all 518 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: of them good, but ideas. I do have quite the craving. 519 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: I'm always sad when a cocktail looks really delicious and 520 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 1: it because it has watermelon in it. Yeah. I recently 521 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: made a really good, gent watermelon basil cocktail and yeah 522 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: yeah wow. Well, uh, screw your face. Sorry, sorry about it. No, no, no, no, 523 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 1: no no no. I'm I'm very happy that other humans 524 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: get to enjoy such delicious things. Yeah. Well, that's a 525 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: very kind barn, very kind trying not to rub it 526 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: into offic Thank you. I think this is about brings 527 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: us to the end of this watermelon episode, but we 528 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: do have a little bit more for you. But first 529 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:16,719 Speaker 1: we've got one more quick break for a word from 530 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, 531 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: and we're back with listener now, beautiful, beautiful road. I 532 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: live in the west coastal town of Mangalore, and I 533 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: grew up eating jackfruit. When I was young, I used 534 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: to live in my grandmother's house and when summer would 535 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: roll around, the air would be penetrated with the scent 536 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: of sweet jackfruit. My granny would call the maid and 537 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: get the ripe ones off the trees and then set 538 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: out on the huge task of peeling and separating the 539 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: actual fruit from the innards of the fruit. You need 540 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,880 Speaker 1: to use some sort of oil. We use coconut because 541 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: we always had it around to prevent the latex from 542 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: sticking all over you. Me and my sister used to 543 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,280 Speaker 1: wait around with this giant knife thingy, and she included 544 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: a picture out in the yard, and the moment they 545 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,240 Speaker 1: would pull one out, we would fight and she usually 546 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: she would usually get to eat it. We make a 547 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,479 Speaker 1: lot of dishes during jackfruit season. When you both said 548 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: they go through all through the year, I was thoroughly confused. 549 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: Here we get jack fruit once a year. Um like 550 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 1: steamed jackfruit rice cake or coconut based curry using the seeds. 551 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: The seeds are used once they are washed and dried. 552 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: I never liked them. Or if we have raw jackfruit, 553 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: we pickle it and make curries out of it next year. 554 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 1: The wasted part is true, though, Three or four of 555 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:48,320 Speaker 1: the fruit that grows on the five to six trees 556 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: that my grandmother has just rots away. The more it ripens, 557 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 1: the more custody it gets. Loving only jackfruit stories, we're getting, 558 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, thank you so much. H Kelsey wrote, I 559 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 1: live in Chicago and visited the Natella Cafe last fall, 560 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: the emphasis of mine Um. As soon as I arrived, 561 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:10,600 Speaker 1: I ran into the mayor of Clarkston, Georgia, who was 562 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 1: on queer eyes. So unexpected and it was his second 563 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 1: time to that week. My friend and I ordered some 564 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,320 Speaker 1: tasting natilla crepes, and while we were eating at the counter, 565 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,200 Speaker 1: we watched the cooks make crepes. One of them started 566 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: making a savory crepe. He added cheese and some ham, 567 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: then some apple, then ntella. My friend and I were 568 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: pretty confused and wondered who the heck would order that, 569 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 1: and then to our surprise, the chef brought it out 570 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: to us. He said he was experimenting and asked if 571 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: would like to try. My friend said no, but I 572 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 1: not wanted to turn down free crepes. Bravely picked up 573 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 1: my fork and took a bite. It was fine. Basically 574 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 1: just like if someone spread Natila on a ham sandwich. 575 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: I wouldn't necessarily order it for myself, but I'm glad 576 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: that na tell A cafe employees are having fun at work. 577 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: I yeah, I totally try it, like apples on his 578 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,760 Speaker 1: apples on a ham and cheesead and you're delicious. Yeah, 579 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:03,839 Speaker 1: like apples and cheese are so good that, like, I mean, 580 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 1: you know, and apples and meat are pretty good too. 581 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:10,760 Speaker 1: Let's do some some apples in with your roast. Um 582 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 1: tell us m hmm, I want to creepe so properly. 583 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,280 Speaker 1: It was like every episode because I'm like, I want 584 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 1: tell and I want watermelons, I want creepes. Yeah, the 585 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: cravings are real, a lot of y'all right in about 586 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: how how like how much do you regret like listening 587 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 1: before lunch or after just at a time when you 588 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: are physically incapable of going and getting this food or 589 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: like your face with eating other other food or yeah, 590 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: and we feel you oh yeah intensely. Yes, yes, it 591 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 1: haunts us the price we pay. I guess that's I 592 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,399 Speaker 1: guess that's all right. Yes, Thanks to both of them 593 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:56,359 Speaker 1: for writing to us. If you would like to write 594 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: to us, you can or email is hello at saber 595 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:00,839 Speaker 1: pot dot com. We're also in social media. You can 596 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:04,319 Speaker 1: find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at savor pod. 597 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 1: We do hope to hear from you. Savor is a 598 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,440 Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radio and Stuff Media. For more podcasts 599 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, you can visit the i Heeart 600 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: Radio app Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 601 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: favorite shows. Thank you, as always to our super producers 602 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: Andrew Howard and Dylan Fagan. Thank you to you for listening, 603 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:20,799 Speaker 1: and I hope that lots more good things are coming 604 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:28,480 Speaker 1: your way.