In Season: Watermelon

Watermelon hits its prime in August, sweetening backyard barbecues, lazy-day picnics on the grass, and beach parties. It boasts an unbeatable combination for long, hot days: It’s colorful, sweet, crunchy, refreshing, and portable. In addition to quenching thirst― watermelon is 92 percent water―it provides hefty doses of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and lycopene (a disease-fighting antioxidant found in red fruits and vegetables).

Watermelon’s appeal dates back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians commemorated watermelons in hieroglyphics. Thought to originate in Africa’s Kalahari Desert, watermelons probably were introduced to America by African slaves, according to John Egerton, author of Southern Food. Today, China produces the majority of the world’s crop. In the United States, Florida leads the way in watermelon production, followed by California, Texas, and Georgia.