Thursday, April 27, 2017

X is for XIGUA, Which is CHINESE for . . . #AtoZChallenge FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
My daily #AtoZ posts combine two concepts in under-300-words per day:
an appealing food choice along with thoughts that spring to mind.
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Although there is no food that begins with the letter "x" in the English language, "xigua" is a Chinese word for watermelon and was the original name for the food. The xigua is a melon with powerful health benefits and there are more than 1,200 different varieties of the sweet watermelon worldwide.
Hard to believe, but the watermelon's nutritional value is found mostly in the rind. About 95% of this value is in the rind and white parts of the melon so it makes a great juicing ingredient. Benefits of eating watermelon include fresh skin and hydrated body. It clears the kidneys of toxins. Watermelon has lots of Vitamin A for great eyesight and Vitamin B6 for brainpower.
To complicate matters, a watermelon is considered a fruit because it grows from a seed but it is also a vegetable because it comes from the same family as the pumpkin, squash, and cucumber. Call it what you will, I've always loved watermelon as a summer snack. It's also a staple for July 4th picnics in the park.
 
One question that comes to mind, now that they've engineered seedless watermelon,
does that mean it is no longer considered a fruit?

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5 comments:

  1. I love watermelon, but I had no idea it was so good/healthy for us! I also didn't know about it being a fruit AND a veggie.

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    1. Yes, Madeline, imagine, good tasting and healthy. I admit to buying frozen blueberries and bing cherries rather than fresh, though. Great snacks.

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  2. That is a good name. We probably should have kept it!

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    1. Wonder how the name would have appealed to us as kids, though!

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    ReplyDelete

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