All about watermelon > History behind watermelon

The origins of watermelon have been traced back to the deserts of southern Africa, where it still grows wild today. The ancestor of the modern watermelon is a tough, drought-tolerant plant prized for its ability to store water for tribes crossing the Kalahari.

The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred about 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on walls of their ancient buildings. Watermelons were often placed in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife.

From there, watermelons were brought to countries along the Mediterranean Sea by way of merchant ships. The 8th century,found watermelons spreading through Spain and the rest of Europe by the Moors. By the 10th century, watermelon found its way to China, which is now the world's top producer