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Gastropod

The Most Dangerous Fruit in America

8/5/202545 min

It's the epitome of summertime: there’s nothing like a cold, juicy slice of red watermelon on a swelteringly hot day. But, once upon a time, watermelons were neither red nor sweet—the wild watermelon has white flesh and a bitter taste. This episode, we scour Egyptian tombs, decaying DNA, and ancient literature in search of watermelon's origins. The quest for tasty watermelon continues into modern times, with the rediscovery of a lost (and legendarily sweet) varietal in South Carolina—and the Nigerian musical secret that might help you pick a ripe one. But the fruit's history has often been t...

Clips

Poisoning the Watermelon Thieves
How Watermelon Became Weaponized
Watermelon Electrocution Tactics
Tasting The Lost Bradford
From Flavor To Industrial Fruit
Ancient Proof Watermelons Were Sweet
The Drum That Picks Melons

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Cynthia Graber· Host0:01

    Summer in New England is my very favorite fruit season. Right about now, I'm eating peaches and cherries and blueberries and, of course, lots and lots of watermelons.

  2. Nicola Twilley· Host0:11

    Which made us think that it was time to revisit one of our favorite episodes all about the watermelon. Make sure to listen all the way through for how to choose the best, most delicious specimen from your local farm stand.

  3. Cynthia Graber· Host0:24

    Enjoy.

  4. Harry Paris· Guest0:24

    [singing] It's watermelon weather. That summer kind of weather. When people get together and sing.

  5. Cynthia Graber· Host0:40

    I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm happy to get together and sing- [singing] It's the time of year the stars come out ... especially if it's singing about watermelons.

  6. Nicola Twilley· Host0:46

    Yeah, but I'm sorry, Cynthia, are you 103? Perry Como?

  7. Cynthia Graber· Host0:51

    What about some Harry Styles?

  8. Harry Paris· Guest0:52

    [singing] Watermelon sugar high. Watermelon sugar high. Watermelon sugar high. Watermelon sugar.

  9. Cynthia Graber· Host1:01

    Singing with a watermelon, frolicking on the beach with a watermelon, it's all good.

  10. Nicola Twilley· Host1:05

    So hey, listeners, guess what this episode is about?

  11. Cynthia Graber· Host1:08

    No, not Harry Styles.

  12. Nicola Twilley· Host1:09

    Or Perry Como. It's about the fruit that's bigger than both of them put together, the watermelon. It's kind of a big deal.

  13. Suzanne Renner· Guest1:17

    A very big deal. Very big deal and growing. So the, uh, FAO Statistics Yearbook, the Food and Agriculture Organization yearbook, says that the world produces something like

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