An Article about Watermelon Seeds

Some of the different pulp varieties. Source: NCSU

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) originates from southern Africa and is believed to have been domesticated at least 4,000 years ago. In 2009, world production of watermelon totaled about 98 million metric tons (FAOSTAT). "Fruits vary considerably in morphology. Whereas the fruits of the wild Kalahari form are small and round, the cultivated forms are large oblong fruits. In addition, they vary from pale yellow or light green (wild form) to dark green (cultivars), and with or without stripes; the pulp varies from yellow or green (wild forms) to dark red (cultivars) (Jeffrey 1978)."

Diversity in watermelon fruit shape and color. Source: NCSU

The following article, published in Slate, explains why the watermelon variety most commonly eaten in the U.S. has white and black seeds.

What's With White Watermelon Seeds?  

(Read after the break)

 

What is in a name? Yams

There are about 600 different species of yam (Dioscorea species). However, three species (D. alata, D. cayenensis-rotundata, and D. trifida) are considered to be the primary yam species consumed in the Tropics.

Below are some of the common names for the species, Dioscorea alata :

 

Source

Going to the Market with a Dollar in Kenya

When talking about global poverty, it is common to encounter a statistic about how X many people live on less than a dollar a day. The "dollar a day" metric for the international poverty line originated in the World Bank's 1990 World Development Report. In this report, the researchers found that the poverty lines in a few of the developing countries that they examined clustered around a dollar in purchasing power parity. The poverty line was meant to mark the minimum amount needed a person to feed, clothe, and provide shelter for her/himself. Today, the new international poverty line is at $1.25 a day.

Even though this definition of the poverty line has flaws (measuring absolute poverty rather than relative poverty) and these videos have some flaws (no haggling at the market?), I think this series provides an interesting look at food markets in many countries around the world.

For more about the poverty line, I recommend this article from The Economist, On the poverty line.

Going to the Market with a Dollar in Guatemala

For the next several days, I'm going to feature some videos from the World Food Program where one of their employees goes to a market and sees what the equivalent of one U.S. dollar will buy. Although the videos don't seem to show any haggling, I think they are a good illustration of food markets, differing regional cuisines, and difficulties faced the poor in affording nutritionally balanced food.

Today's video is of a market in Guatemala.

According to the FAO, the top 10 crops produced in Guatemala (by quantity) in 2008 were sugar cane, bananas, maize (corn), potatoes, other melons (inc. cantaloupes, but not watermelon), tomatoes, cow milk, coffee, pineapples, and plantains.

Source: FAOSTAT