Get your Ripe, Juicy Watermelon Here!
I remember the watermelon man driving slowly through my small North Carolina town shouting, "Watermelon! Get your watermelon heah!" Folks would come out of their homes and buy them straight off the pick up truck including my grandfather. I remember he would buy a watermelon, put it in the cooler, and we would slice that baby open when the time was right. Yes, we would have ourselves a cool, sweet ol’ time. There is nothing like sweet, cold watermelon in the summertime. I know, black folks just love watermelon, right. Well, wait a minute because white folks love it too as well as Asians and Latinos -- everyone loves watermelon! Well, maybe not everyone but you understand.
The love for this famous melon dates back 5,000 years when Africans grew it along the Nile Valley (Today known as Egypt and the Middle East). African explorer, David Livingston (1813-1873), describe It as being abundant in the Kalahari desert where it was thought to have originated; there, it grows wild. In America, it arrived via the slave trade. Thomas Jefferson grew it and boasted of its sweetness as compared to his French counterparts. Confederate soldiers use to boil it down as a source of sugar and molasses.
In Africa, where it still grows, many tribes have used it for centuries as a source of water during times of drought. Enslaved Africans in America naturally loved its taste because many of them had it as a source of food in their homeland. Today, many of us get excited when we are in a foreign place and we see food familiar to us. I can imagine the Africans in America getting all excited when they were able to eat their native melon.
This, of course, made it easy for others to create negative stereotypes associated with that love for their native melon. Well, that is all I have to say about the native African vine (scientifically known as Citrullus lanatus). Go to your local market and grab yourselves a tasty watermelon or some other fresh fruit.
Note: Now, researchers have found that watermelon has a viagra like ingredient called Citrulline that increases sex drive. Well, like I said...
Get your ripe, juicy watermelon here!
Sources: darwin.nmsu.edu, capecodphotoalbum.com, yahoo news
Watermelon photo: Scotland Neck, N.C., Stephen Bess
Comments
Peace,
Geoffrey
Peace, truth and love...
In regards to fired chicken, I found go for a spicy 2 piece right not just on GP.
Bygbaby
They don't like cucumber, melon, all what contains too much water.
I know a Vietnamese tale about them : a family was unjustly exiled to an isle and there had to cultivate the ground. It was difficult, they got plenty watermelons and put them on the flowing water, so they arrived at the town from which they had been driven and everyone was happy and enjoyed.
Hello, brother. You know that I had mine before the weekend was over.
ViolentLove-
So true.
Bygbaby-
Now you're talking. They can call me what they want.
Cergie-
First, it is good to see you. I love that Vietnamese story. Fantastic.
Great history lesson too! You really ought to offer a certificate at the end of a year for you rhistory lessons! I always come away feeling smarter!
lol! I'm happy that you can take something with you when you stop by. Good to see you. :)
Big hugs back to you and tell your beautiful wife that I am wishing her a happy belated birthday. Incidentally, our birthdays are on the same day!
i still remember my grandpa buying one off the fruit truck (yes, we even had them in LA) and getting all excited for him to slice it open. i love watermelons. for me, they SCREAM ..."it's summer!".
In Mexico and in my house we make watermelon juice: put it in the blender with a little water and honey. It is the most ideal thing for a hot day!!!
I love eating watermelons.
Your blog is like an online magazine of interesting things.
Cheers and God bless.
Ahh...yes. :)
Sumeeta-
Thanks for the hugs. I will pass on the msg to my wife.
Pwife-
Trucks in LA? Well, you can take a person out of the country, but you can't take the country out of them. :)
Cranky-
Ooooh...I love mangoes. Too high, huh?
ProfZ-
Your grandfather and I would get along just well at the dinner table. :)
Yes, so funny about viagra and watermelon. That would explain some other stereotypes.
Thanks for stopping by. Don't be a stranger. God bless.
It's amazing how some things are the same everywhere. That man hollering, 'watermelon, get yo' watermelon heah' can be right here.
We bought half a water melon yesterday, it's perfect, right texture, crisp and sweeeeeeeeet.
Yakimo! Yakimo!...which translates to Yams! Yams!...
We must be distant cousins...they love watermelons as much as we do too...
smile.smirk.laugh...:)
Yes, I think, Black people really do enjoy watermelon sometimes, and there's not a thing wrong with that.
It sounds good. I'm sure that they're really tasty where you are.
Amiamazing-
Good to see you! Thanks for the education. I didn't know that about Japan. "Yakimo!" lol I love it.
Fitz-
Thanks, brother. I had a really good weekend. I went to all types of picnics for this and that community. Yesterday, it was Malawian picnic. Good people and good food. I hope you had a great one. Peace~
I almost missed you! Thanks for the comment. You're not playing with the melons, huh. lol. That's cool. I agree...there's nothing wrong with it.
Best, Kyra
www.BlackThreads.blogspot.com
I hope you have been well, friend.
Thanks and welcome.
Kyra-
That sounds like a wonderful quilt. I need to come by and see your quilts.
Christina-
That watermelon mojito sounds good. :)
Kei
http://therevealedoasis.blogspot.com