Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Waterloo Watermelon Cocktail or Mocktail inspired by National Watermelon Day!
History of National Watermelon Day
Millions of people love the juicy, refreshing watermelon, but not everyone is aware that this is the time of year that’s the peak of the summer fruit season. That’s why the National Watermelon Association (then known as the Melon Distributors Association), created this holiday back in the early 1980s - to capitalize on getting the news out that now is the best time to buy watermelons.
Cultivation of watermelons date back to 2000 BCE, with the first watermelon harvest on record occurring approximately 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Traces of watermelons and its seeds have been discovered on sites of the 12th Egyptian Dynasty, including in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Paintings of different types of watermelon have also been found in ancient Egyptian inscriptions.
The sweet fruit we enjoy today is the result of genetic mutations over the course of a thousand years of cultivation. Yes - that’s part of what civilized farming is, genetic manipulation through cultivation. In the ancient world, watermelon seeds were sold to traders passing to the north through the trade routes in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa. From there, the cultivation of the watermelon spread across Africa. After that, it spread into Mediterranean countries and other parts of Europe. By the end of the ninth century, watermelon cultivation became common as far away as China and throughout Asia.
According to “The Dictionary of American Food and Drink” by John Mariani, the word ‘watermelon’ first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615. The watermelon is commonly known as a type of melon, but it is not in the genus Cucumis. The outer rind of a watermelon is dark green with yellow stripes or spots. Over 300 varieties of watermelon are available in the U.S., ranging from red to white, and come in different shapes and sizes.
Yes, watermelons may help to fight cancer. They’re a great source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been proven to reduce the risk of some types of cancers like lung-, stomach-, and prostate cancer.
Ans if you’re on a diet? Don’t worry = watermelons are 92% water, so you can not only dig in without feeling guilty—you can also stay hydrated on a hot summer day.
Traditions of National Watermelon Day
Watermelons are enjoyed in all shapes, sizes, and colors on National Watermelon Day. Delightfully sweet and tasty, they are the go-to fruit for summer. No picnic is complete without watermelons. Best enjoyed outdoors, watermelon-eating contests and seed-spitting contests are a tradition. As they consist of 90% water, smoothies, sherbets, cocktails, and other beverages are often concocted from watermelons today, and desserts featuring watermelon as the main ingredient are also prepared.
How To Pick A Ripe Watermelon
It’s not nearly as hard to pick a great ripe watermelon as some folks may have told you. No knocking of melons here, we’ve got five real tips that will help you pick a great watermelon.
What’s the Shape
To pick a ripe watermelon, start with its shape. [Yes, there are square watermelons. No, that’s not natural like wombat poop.] Different varieties of watermelons have different shapes - oval or round - but the key is that the shape of a good watermelon should be uniform. Also, the shorter and closer to round, the sweeter and less watery its likely to be.
Check The Spot
Next, check the ground spot, the splotch on the bottom where the watermelon rested on the dirt. A ripe melon has a deep, creamy yellow or orange-yellow spot. Avoid ones with white or pale green spots, which mean it was picked too early.
Check The Webbing
“Webbing” refers to the coarse, web-like brown scuffs on the rind (green outer skin) of the watermelon. Despite the scab-like look of webbing, webbing on a watermelon is actually a good thing. These brown spots are scars from pollination, so the more webbing there is, the more times a bee pollinated the watermelon flower. And, in turn, the more pollination, the sweeter the fruit!
Check The Skin Finish
It’s best to choose a watermelon with a dull, matte finish. Shiny skin means the watermelon is still young and not yet ripe. Also, there’s no benefit to choosing solid-colored versus striped—this just has to do with the different watermelon varieties. If it is a striped watermelon, give it the finger - the two finger test, that is. Place two adult fingers together lengthwise along a dark green stripe on your watermelon. If the stripe is as wide as your two fingers, the melon should be ripe.
Check Your Stem
If it still has one, check the little tail where the watermelon hung from the vine. A dry, brown stem means it ripened fully, while a green stem means it was picked too soon.
National Watermelon Day By The Numbers
92% – the percentage of a watermelon that is water.
1,200 – the estimated number of varieties of watermelon available.
85% – the percentage of watermelons sold today that are seedless.
350.5 – the weight in pounds of the world’s heaviest watermelon grown in 2013.
$100 – the starting price of square watermelons in Japan.
2007 – the year when the Oklahoma State Senate made watermelon its official state vegetable.
85–100 – the number of days it takes for most watermelons to mature.
300 – the number of types of watermelons grown in the U.S.
9–10 – the sweetness measurement of most watermelons on the Brix scale.
75 feet – the record distance for spitting watermelon seeds held by Jason Schayot, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
National Watermelon Day Activities
Play A Game Of Suikawari (Watermelon Splitting)
The Japanese have watermelon splitting down to an art. In the game of Suikawari (similar to a pinata, but without the candy and paper mache), players are blindfolded, spun around three times and given the chance to crack open a watermelon with a wooden stick. But instead of candy, you get watermelon guts in your face.
Create A Watermelon Sculpture
It’s no surprise watermelons are in the same family as the pumpkin — you can carve them, too! Unleash your creativity by carving a watermelon rose, a watermelon shark or a watermelon basket. The options are endless.
Make A Vodka Watermelon
Watermelons are mostly made of water. But what if you replaced some of that water with... vodka? Organize a boozy celebration with your friends by cutting a hole in a watermelon, inserting a funnel and pouring in some vodka. The rest is... well, you probably won’t remember the rest.
Make Today’s Drink Of The Day!
Maybe you’d rather keep your memory and be a bit more sensible with your drinking today? We’ve got you covered with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Waterloo Watermelon Cocktail or Mocktail.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
