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Away from the heat with Albanian watermelon/6 interesting facts about the fruit

2024-07-12 07:26:00, Shëndeti CNA

Away from the heat with Albanian watermelon/6 interesting facts about the fruit

Illustrative photo

June and July can be called the 'National Watermelon Months', this red, sweet and fresh fruit, the epitome of the perfect wine. During these months, watermelon production in the country reaches its peak.

Watermelon is undoubtedly the most consumed fruit in Albania, followed by melon and watermelon. Watermelon is part of the same botanical family that includes cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. Watermelon is thought to have been discovered in Egypt about 5000 years ago as depicted in many hieroglyphs.

Watermelon grown in Albania has no comparison in terms of taste and value. The areas of Fier, Lushnja and Mallakastra are champions of watermelon production in Albania. Our country has a total of 5,600 hectares of land planted with watermelons. 2300 hectares are found in the above-mentioned areas and another 764 hectares in the Shkodra area.

In recent years, Albania has produced a total of 221,628 tons of watermelons from fields and 1044 tons from greenhouses. The annual production of Lushnja reaches 81,804 tons followed by Shkodra with 22,779 tons. The production rate of Lushnja is 51 tons per hectare, while that of Shkodra is 30 tons per hectare. Watermelons in the northwestern area that includes Lezha and Shkodra are planted in April and harvested in July

Eating watermelon is a separate pastime for Albanians. But you still have to be careful. When you eat watermelon, in order to avoid heartburn, the ideal is not to eat any other food 30 minutes before or after eating watermelon.

6 interesting facts about watermelon

1. Watermelon has more lycopene than tomatoes

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that gives fruits or vegetables that beautiful pink or red color. This antioxidant is usually found in tomatoes, but watermelon is a more concentrated source of antioxidants. One cup of watermelon has 1.5 times more lycopene than a large fresh tomato.

2. Watermelon juice relieves muscle pain

If you have a fruit blender, then squeeze a third of a fresh watermelon and drink the juice before training. This juice contains more than one gram of amino acids that protect against muscle pain. Studies have shown that men who drink natural watermelon juice before exercise suffer less muscle soreness the next day, compared to men who drink only water.

3. Watermelon is both a fruit and a vegetable

As we said above, watermelon belongs to the same family as cucumber, pumpkins and squash. This is due to the fact that watermelon is part fruit and part vegetable. After all, it is a large grain that produces seeds. Another fact that supports this theory is that watermelon rind is edible.

4. You can eat the seeds and white pips of the watermelon

Most people throw away the white pips or rinds of the watermelon. What you should know is that if you put these peels in a food mixer together with green lemon, you will prepare a very tasty and healthy mixture. Watermelon rind contains many healthy nutrients that are good for the blood. The peel actually has more amino acids such as citrulline than the pulp itself. Citrulline is transformed into arginine for the kidneys. It is an important amino acid for human health and the immune system, but it also has therapeutic value.
Many people prefer watermelon seedless, but black watermelon seeds are completely edible and healthy. They contain iron, zinc, protein and fiber.

5. Watermelon is almost all water

You all probably know this, but it's an interesting clue. 91% of watermelon is water. This means that if you consume watermelon on hot summer days, you will not only stay hydrated, but also have a natural substitute for water.

6. Have you heard of the yellow watermelon?

Yellow watermelon is sweeter. It has a taste reminiscent of honey and unlike watermelon with red pulp. Yellow watermelon offers a variety of health and nutritional benefits, but until now all scientific studies have focused on red-fleshed watermelon varieties.

The biggest disappointment is when you cut into the watermelon and find that it is tasteless or without that bright red color. So you need to learn how to choose the perfect watermelon. At the end of the watermelon, you should look for a pale spot with a yellow tint (not white or green). That spot forms as the watermelon ripens and is the best indicator of a well-ripened watermelon. Another selection tactic is to choose a heavy weight, smooth rind watermelon or you can opt for the popular finger snapping tactic. A ripe watermelon is said to make a muffled bass sound when struck. /AgroWeb.org