The Most Dangerous Fruit in America

Gastropod

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

Arts, Science, History, Food

4.7 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 3 August 2020

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's the epitome of summertime: there’s nothing like a cold, juicy slice of red watermelon on a swelteringly hot day. But, once upon a time, watermelons were neither red nor sweet—the wild watermelon has white flesh and a bitter taste. This episode, we scour Egyptian tombs, decaying DNA, and ancient literature in search of watermelon's origins. The quest for tasty watermelon continues into modern times, with the rediscovery of a lost (and legendarily sweet) varietal in South Carolina—and the Nigerian musical secret that might help you pick a ripe one. But the fruit's history has often been the opposite of sweet: watermelons have featured in some of the most ubiquitous anti-Black imagery in U.S. history. So how did the watermelon become the most dangerous—and racist—fruit in America? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is brought to you by Polestar.
0:02.8	Designing an SUV for the Electric Age means redesigning what an SUV can be.
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0:18.3	And designed to look and sound like nothing else on the road.
0:22.8	Polestar 3. The SUV for the Electric Age.
0:26.6	Visit Polestar.com to learn more and design yours today.
0:31.3	It's water, melon, the weather.
0:38.0	That summer kind of weather.
0:41.8	When people get together and sing.
0:47.3	We might not all be getting together, but I'm so happy that you've watermelon and sing about watermelons.
0:53.4	Yeah, but I'm sorry, Cynthia. Are you 103?
0:57.2	Perry Como? What about some Harry Styles?
1:00.1	Watermelons to the high.
1:08.8	Singing with a watermelon, fronking on the beach with a watermelon.
1:12.1	It's all good.
1:12.6	So hey, listeners, guess what this episode is about?
1:15.6	No, not Harry Styles.
1:16.8	Or Perry Como. It's about the fruit that's bigger than both of them put together.
1:21.7	The watermelon, it's kind of a big deal.
1:24.1	A very big deal, very big deal in growing.
	...

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