The green and crimson chemistry of the watermelon
The rind is the greenish outer layer that we throw out when we cut the fruit for its red interior.
| Photo Credit: reportperm/Unsplash
The summer season is on and the fruit market is flush with the watermelon (‘turbuz’ in Hindi, ‘vathakkai’ in Tamil, ‘tormuj’ in Bengali, and Citrullus lanatus in botany), with its green-yellow striped skins and reddish interiors studded with dark seeds. The watermelon came to India from Africa, and is now ranked alongside apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes as one of the top five most cultivated fruits on the planet.
Given the climatic conditions in India, watermelons have become completely Indian over the centuries. It is a delicious fruit and is easily cultivated, marketed, and consumed in rural and urban areas. In his book A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food (1998), K.T. Achaya noted the traditional use of many gourds, including the watermelon, in daily foods and as fruits.
Published – April 17, 2026 05:00 am IST
