Prompt Cast
The Fascinating History and Science of Watermelons
TLDR Watermelons have a long history, originating in northeast Africa and spreading to other countries over thousands of years. They are closely related to cucumbers and squash, and are the third most eaten fruit by weight. Watermelons played a significant role in the United States' history, and the racist trope of black people eating watermelons has had a lasting impact. The Charleston Gray watermelon is responsible for 95% of watermelons grown worldwide, and the seedless watermelon was invented in 1939. Watermelons have a unique flavor that cannot be replicated, and they are not considered a health food.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Square and heart-shaped watermelons were invented in Japan by an artist and horticulturist named Tomoyuki Ono, and while the myth that they were created to fit into small Japanese refrigerators is not true, they are grown in containers and are not meant to be eaten, costing about $100 in Japan.
04:48
Watermelons are beloved around the world, with watermelon being the third most eaten fruit by weight, and they are closely related to cucumbers and squash, with different varieties originating from Africa.
09:41
Watermelon has a long history, originating in northeast Africa and spreading to other countries over thousands of years, and it played a significant role in the United States' history, with Thomas Jefferson famously growing watermelons at Monticello and former enslaved people supporting themselves by growing and selling watermelons after the Civil War.
14:32
The racist trope of black people eating watermelons has had a lasting impact, with some black Americans still feeling uncomfortable eating watermelon around white Americans.
19:13
95% of watermelons grown worldwide can be traced back to the Charleston Gray watermelon, which was created by a scientist named Charleston Charles Andrus in 1954, making it extremely vulnerable to pests and diseases.
24:11
In 1939, geneticist Hitoshi Kihara invented the seedless watermelon through a manual process that involves using colchicine to turn a regular diploid watermelon into a tetraploid, cross-fertilizing it with a diploid, and producing a triploid plant that is sterile and seedless.
29:06
Watermelons can be grown anywhere, but they require a lot of space and can rot if not grown on a suitable surface; the best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by looking at the color of the bald spot on the bottom, and thumping them doesn't actually indicate ripeness.
33:42
Watermelons are not particularly bad for you, but they are not considered a health food either, although cooking them can unleash the power of lycopene.
39:15
Watermelon has a unique flavor that cannot be replicated, likely due to an organic compound called an aldehyde.
44:15
Watermelon flavor is difficult to replicate because the organic compound responsible for its unique taste breaks down quickly, unlike banana flavor which is often associated with its yellow color.
49:20
This section of the podcast is not relevant to the topic of watermelons and does not contain any information that needs to be summarized.
Categories:
Society & Culture
