10 Fun Facts for National Watermelon Day—Plus, the Watermelon Cocktail Recipe You'll Make All Summer Long
National Watermelon Day is August 3, 2024, so grab a sweet slice and get an immune-boosting dose of vitamins A, B-6 and C, plus hydration (this melon's mostly water!) during the dog days of summer. There's just nothing that says summer quite like cutting into a perfectly ripe watermelon—except maybe grilling it, drinking it or enjoying it in a salad.
Related: This Viral Recipe is the Most Fun You Can Have With a Watermelon
Impress your friends with these 10 fun facts about the fruit (or vegetable) from the Watermelon Board while you sip a refreshing watermelon tequila cocktail (recipe below).
Related: 20 Delicious Watermelon Recipes
10 Fun Facts About Watermelon
1. Watermelon is 92% water.
2. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
3. The word "watermelon" first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615.
4. A watermelon takes about 90 days to grow, from planting to harvesting. Here's how to pick a watermelon that's perfectly ripe every time.
5. You can eat watermelon rind. Here are three ways to enjoy the green part!
Related: This Summer, Watermelon Salads are Out and Watermelon Sandwiches Are In
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6. The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1796 was titled American Cookery and contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
7. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on the walls of their ancient buildings. Watermelons were often placed in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife.
Related: 27 Delicious Ways to Use Leftover Watermelon
8. According to Guinness World Records, the world's heaviest watermelon was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee in 2013, weighing 350.5 lbs.
9. More than 300 varieties of watermelon are cultivated in the United States and South America. The most common watermelon options are seeded, seedless, mini and yellow & orange.
10. The United States currently ranks sixth in worldwide production of watermelon, with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Indiana consistently in the lead.
Bonus fact: Watermelon is one of the most low-carb fruits you can eat, so those on a keto-friendly diet can enjoy it in moderation.
Related: The One Thing You Shouldn't Do When You Freeze Watermelon
The New Rosé Recipe
Celebrate National Watermelon Day at one of the many watermelon festivals across the country, or try this spicy-sweet cocktail that highlights watermelon and gets a kick from fresno chili and Código 1530 Rosa tequila.
Código 1530 Rosa Tequila looks a lot like rosé, but it's actually a blanco tequila that rests for one month in French White Oak barrels that previously held Cabernet wine, giving the tequila a pretty pink hue. This makes a tequila with enriched agave juice and delicate floral notes, which pairs perfectly with watermelon in the La Vela drink from Hamptons restaurant, Calissa.
Calissa for Codigo 1530 Tequila
LA VELA Watermelon Tequila Cocktail Recipe
Calissa, Water Mill, New York
By Brian Sheets
Ingredients
2 pieces of watermelon
1 slice of fresno chili
1.5 oz Código 1530 Rosa tequila
.5 oz rosemary syrup
.75 oz grapefruit juice
.25 oz lime juice
MIP rosé
1 rosemary sprig
How to make this tequila watermelon cocktail
Muddle watermelon and fresno chili. Add tequila, rosemary syrup, grapefruit and lime juice and shake.
Serve in a snifter over shaved ice.
Top with a splash of MIP rosé and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Need more watermelon inspiration? Use up your leftover watermelon with a Spicy Watermelon Salad sure to heat up your summer.
