Watermelony Goodness

I love watermelon. More than the average person, possibly. I buy them two at a time when they're in season and it's not uncommon for me to go days eating watermelon and very little else. They taste like summer! It's one of my top 5 foods and I can't get enough. I pretty much buy the seedless kind exclusively, but I've never turned down the kind with seeds, either.

Because I'm a giver, I thought I'd share a few fun facts about this fabulous edible!

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
• Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.
• In some Mediterranean countries, the taste of watermelon is paired with the salty taste of feta cheese.
• Watermelon is 92% water.
• Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitaceae. It is cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
• In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinness Book of World Records).
• Watermelon has no fat or cholesterol and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C and contains fiber and potassium.

You can find out more about watermelon here. What's your take on it? Do you love it or only like it? What's your favorite way to eat it? Do you have any you can share with me?