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Mind flex: Use your melon

Use your melon to see how well you know about…well, melons.

A delicious variety of summery sweet goodness awaits!

Q: Melons are classified as part of what family?

A: Gourds. Melons are closely related to squashes and cucumbers. They grow on vines and should be supported with stalks or trellises.

Q: Which Asian country is home to the most expensive melons in the world?

A: Japan. The Yurabi King melons are grown in volcanic ash on the island of Hokkaido. They’re harvested by hand and prized for their sweetness, causing their worth to be upwards of $20,000 per melon.

Q: Watermelon is considered the state vegetable of which Southern state?

A: Oklahoma. The watermelon would’ve been the state fruit, but the strawberry already holds that title.

Q: In what country were cantaloupes created?

A: Cantaloupes were developed in Cantalup, Italy, in the 1700s.

Q: Which former Egyptian ruler was entombed with watermelon seeds?

A: King Tutankhamen.

Q: What parts of melons are used in traditional Chinese medicine?

A: Almost all of them—fruit, seed, leaves and roots.

Q: Which type of melon is considered both a fruit and a vegetable?

A: The watermelon. While the subject of fruit or vegetable is highly debatable in botanical circles, they’re considered vegetables because they belong to the gourd family.

Q: The entire month of July is dedicated to which type of melon?

A: The watermelon. National Watermelon Month came into existence in 2007 to promote the production and sales of fruit nationwide.

Q: What’s the weight of the heaviest watermelon to date?

A: The Guinness World Record holder goes to a 350.5-pound watermelon, grown by Chris Kent, of Sevierville, Tennessee, in 2013.

We hope you think about these fun facts the next time you’re at the grocery store, thumping a melon to test for ripeness. Spoiler alert: If it’s a dull thud, the melon is good to go.

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