Often the claim that watermelon is a berry is confusing. Most people are accustomed to consider it a fruit, and there are those who are sure that it is a vegetable. The question is ambiguous, there are many opinions. So who is right? And why is a watermelon considered a berry?
This issue will require a comprehensive review. It’s best to start with basic concepts.
What is a berry?
Opinions of botanists and non-specialists on this subject differ. So, in everyday life, all small fruits that have juicy pulp are considered berries. These include true (for example, currants), false (rose hips), drupes (cherries), multi-drupe (raspberries). At the same time, from the point of view of botany, it is berries, but has larger sizes, the people may not be assigned to them. For example, they won’t say either about tomato or kiwi. But in fact they are berries.
In botany there is no reference to dimensions. And this to some extent explains why watermelon is a berry, because many people are confused by the size. In botany, the definition is as follows. Berries are fruits of any size, but they must have a lot of seeds with hard peels and juicy flesh. All this is a thin-skin shell. True berries develop from ovaries, false ones - from any other parts.
Additional views
The group of berry fruits also includes pumpkins, oranges and apples. These are also varieties of berries, because they correspond to all the signs.
The first are the fruit of plants - representatives of the pumpkin family. These are the largest berries, the weight of which can reach several tens of kilograms, and the size - exceed a meter in diameter. They are characterized by a juicy and dense pulp and firm skin. The outer layer can sometimes be woody. Watermelon belongs to this family. A berry or pumpkin is its fruit? The second name cannot be used. Since this is the name of another plant. The common name for the fruits of the cultures of this family is pumpkin.
Oranges are a typical citrus fruit. Consequently, lemons, oranges, etc. can also be attributed to berries.
The latter include representatives of the subfamily Yablonevy. These are multi-seeded fruits with a thin skin, a lot of pulp and seeds located closer to the center. In addition, in botany, berries are considered fruits that grow on pear, mountain ash, quince.
What for nerds - not a berry
As already mentioned, not every fruit that is considered a berry in everyday life is actually a fruit. So, typical misconceptions.
Drupe. These are fruits with a thin skin and juicy pulp. Their distinguishing feature is one seed, and not many, like berries. In addition, the layers of the pericarp are sharply separated. Therefore, the pulp is so easily detached. Thus, cherries and cherries are drupes. This also includes peaches, apricots, plums and other fruits with one seed.
There are such fruits where many, many drupes are combined together. The most common example is raspberries or blackberries. In fact, they are multi-site.
Strawberries and strawberries are false berries, because they are formed not from the ovaries, but from the receptacle. The fruits are white and black seeds on the surface, which are called multi-roots.
About watermelons
As it has now become clear, the scientific and philistine views are significantly different. If we compare the description and appearance of the fruit, it becomes clear why the watermelon is a berry: it meets all the characteristics of this group of plants.
A bit of history
Watermelon can be considered a novice in European cuisine, because it was introduced relatively recently. This culture appeared on the tables in the Middle Ages, during the Crusades. The striped fruit reached Russia even later; it was introduced to it in the approximately 14th century.
The birthplace of this wonderful treat is considered South Africa, the Namib desert region . Also, Brazil and Paraguay are trying to challenge this role. In all these regions, watermelon is found in the wild, and related species are also widely represented. Accurate information on the ways culture is disseminated is not available. However, from historical sources it is known that already in the Ancient World, watermelon was well known. He was cultivated in various countries and was a favorite treat. At the dawn of mankind, no one had yet wondered why a watermelon is a berry, since at that time there were no botanical classifications.
Currently, more than 1200 varieties of this culture are known. It received special distribution in China. At present, China is a leader in the cultivation of watermelons. They are also cultivated in Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, in the states of the American continent - in only 96 countries of the world.
What is this culture?
To understand why watermelon is called a berry, you should refer to its botanical description. This plant, as already mentioned, belongs to the Pumpkin family. It is a gourd. The fruit develops from the ovary and is a large pumpkin, which can be spherical, oval or cylindrical in shape. The weight of watermelons can be more than 20 kg. The fruit is covered with dense, smooth and thick bark (4-15 mm), the color is usually green, there are also varieties with white or yellow color. Most often there is a pattern in the form of dark and light stripes. Why is watermelon considered a berry? The fact is that pumpkin is its subspecies, which has all the characteristic features.
The pulp of the fetus is red. There are also varieties with a pink, yellow or white core. The taste of the fruit is sweet, it can be sugary. The pulp is juicy and tender. It contains a large number of seeds.
Chemical composition
Watermelon is very useful, because it is rich in various vitamins and minerals. At the same time, it contains the minimum number of calories: only 38 kcal per 100 g of pulp. In the edible part of the fetus at the time of ripening, mainly glucose and fructose are contained. Sucrose appears during storage. The longer a watermelon lies, the more it accumulates. The pulp contains from 5.5 to 13% of easily digestible sugars.
The following vitamins are contained in the fruits: A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, C, K, PP. The pulp is also rich in trace elements, such as iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, sodium, selenium, phosphorus, fluorine, zinc. 100 g of watermelon contains 0.61 g of protein, 7.55 g of carbohydrates, 0.15 g of fat, 0.4 g of dietary fiber.
Due to such an abundance of useful microelements, the striped “ball” becomes an indispensable product on the table. It is not only possible, but also necessary. A large amount of water helps to saturate the body with moisture, which is especially important in the summer heat.
Is the watermelon berry? And is it worth arguing about this?
After a detailed consideration of the problem from all sides, you can summarize the information and summarize a small study on the topic "Why is watermelon a berry and how true is that."
So, watermelon belongs to the Pumpkin family. The fruit has all the inherent characteristics of berries: juicy pulp, a large number of seeds, the presence of an external skin. However, according to the family, it will be called a pumpkin. And this is the most correct name from a botanical point of view.
At the same time, pumpkins belong to the group of berry-shaped fruits. Therefore, there are not only similarities. They are somewhat different from typical berries, firstly, in large sizes, secondly, in a dense skin, and thirdly, in a large number of seeds.
It remains only to clarify the last question about watermelon: "Is it a berry or a pumpkin?" Based on the foregoing, we conclude that the juicy fruit can be called a berry, because, according to the main biological criteria, it corresponds to this group and belongs to it. This is a broader name. A narrower and more specialized name is pumpkin (it, in turn, is a variety of berries).
It is also necessary to make a small digression for those who pose the question as follows: "Is watermelon a berry or a vegetable?" The fact is that the first definition is botanical, and the second is culinary, gastronomic. Mixing concepts from different areas is incorrect. However, if we consider the watermelon from a nutritional point of view, then according to its characteristics it will relate to fruits, since edible sweet berries are also included in this group.