🍉 I, the Watermelon

Hello, dear adventurers! 👋 I am Watermelon—and yes, I’m the one who makes your chin sticky in summer and your smile even bigger 😄.

I haven’t always been this juicy and red. Long, long ago, I was… well, quite different. 🤔 Back then, nobody planted me in neat rows. I grew wild, under the scorching sun of Northeast Africa 🏜️. My flesh wasn’t red. I was about the size of a grapefruit—round, green, and not very tasty. And inside —pale, hard, and bitter—the kind of taste that makes your face scrunch up! 😝

But people still picked me. You might wonder... why? Because inside me was a hidden treasure: seeds! 🌰

Roasted over fire, my seeds were nutritious and delicious—full of oil and energy. I wasn’t the treat I am today… I was a tool for survival. And when the days were dry and rivers vanished, my firm rind protected just enough moisture to be useful 💧. I was like a little canteen in a shell.

Over time, clever farmers noticed something. Once in a while, one of us Watermelons tasted just a little less bitter. They saved those seeds and planted them again. Slowly, patiently, generation after generation, they helped me change. A little sweeter here. A little redder there. Until eventually… I became a delight. ❤️🍉

By the time I reached the great gardens of Egypt, I was already special. You might not believe this, but they even found my seeds in King Tutankhamun’s tomb! That’s right—I was buried with a pharaoh. Egyptians painted me, farmers grew me along the banks of the Nile, and people sliced me open on hot days.

But I didn’t stay in Egypt. People carried my seeds on camel caravans 🐪, ships 🚢, and into new homes across continents. I traveled far—across the Mediterranean, along the Silk Road to India and China. Artists painted me, and doctors even recommended me for health! When ships started crossing the oceans, I went with them 🚢. I came to the Americas with explorers, settlers, and enslaved people. In the New World, I found sunshine ☀️, open space 🌾, and eager hands to plant me. I thrived—and I became even sweeter. 🍭

In every place, people gave me a new name. You humans are always naming things! 📛 In English, I’m “watermelon”—because I’m a melon 🍈, and I’m more than 90% water 💦. But every culture gave me their own twist. And the things you do with me? Oh my vines… get ready to laugh. 🤭

You humans are so curious and creative. You don’t just eat me by the slice. No, no—you experiment! And I must say, some of the things you do with me… well… let’s just say I’ve learned to be very brave. 😅

In Mexico, I’ve been sprinkled with chili powder and lime—¡Ay, caramba! I go from sweet to spicy in one bite! 🌶️🍉
In Japan, I’ve been turned into cube shapes to fit in refrigerators. I must admit, it feels strange being cube, but I suppose I look quite modern! 🔲🍉
In the Southern United States, I’ve seen people fry my rind! Yes—fry it. Like potatoes! 🍟🥴
In Italy, someone once wrapped me in prosciutto. That’s salty ham, my friends. Salty ham and sweet me? I thought it was a mistake, but apparently, it’s “gourmet.” 🇮🇹🍖🍉
In Vietnam, they even press my seeds into candies. Can you imagine me as dessert and snack and drink?
And in China, during festivals, I become a centerpiece—and sometimes, they carve me into dragons. Dragons! Me! 🐉🍉

Wherever I go, humans invent new ways to eat me—with cheese, with herbs, frozen, grilled, pickled, blended, salted, spiced, or just slurped straight from the rind. You are a wildly creative bunch.

But I’m more than just a snack. I belong to a big plant family called Cucurbitaceae—along with my cousins the cucumber 🥒, pumpkin 🎃, and squash 🍠. We all love warm soil, and sunny days ☀️.
I grow on curling vines, I bloom with golden-yellow flowers 🌼, and I take my sweet time—sometimes months—just lounging in the sun until I’m perfectly plump, juicy, and ready for your plate! 😎☀️🍉

Some of me still carries black shiny seeds, while others have none—but here’s a secret: even seedless watermelons need their seeded cousins nearby to grow! Isn’t that interesting? 🕵️‍♂️🍉

Inside me is a powerful antioxidant called lycopene—it’s like a special red color that plants make! 🍉🍅 It’s the same thing that gives tomatoes their bright red glow. Lycopene helps keep your body strong and healthy, especially when you’re growing fast, running wild, and using lots of energy! 💪🏃‍♀️✨

Lycopene is the Latin name for tomato , which means “wolf peach” 🐺🍑. Strange, right? Long ago, people thought tomatoes might be tricky or even dangerous—like a sneaky wolf hiding as a fruit! But that’s a story my friend, the Tomato will have to tell you… 🍅😉

So the next time you see me at a picnic or market or in a salad next to feta cheese, remember. I’ve traveled the world, I’ve made friends in every kitchen and I carry 5,000 years of history in my juicy heart. From wild and bitter to sweet and beloved fruit all over the world.

I am Watermelon.
A gift from the desert.
A traveler of continents.
And a story you can eat. 🍉✨

With Montessori joy,

Vanina 😊