Watermelon in interesting shapes

Japanese watermelons are no longer round! They are funny looking shaped like human-faced , hearts, cubic & pyramids.

Watermelons in interesting shapes all started with a cubic watermelon that a farmer in the Kagawa prefecture grew about 20 years ago. Originally, this was created on the idea that a watermelon in the shape of a cube would fit more readily in a compact refrigerator.

Its unique shape brings it a lot of attention from all over the world. Today, these watermelons from Japan have become known all around the world."

There are actually several darned good reasons for making a watermelon in a square shape. Since these things make great gifts, it makes sense to package them in boxes and a square shape fits into a square box with the minimum amount of wasted space. In addition, the shape naturally lends itself to being bedecked in a decorative ribbon, birthday-present style.

Farmers in Zentsuji, located in southern Japan, place the small on-the-vine watermelons in tempered glass forms that force the growing melons to conform to their shape while still receiving necessary sunlight. Only about 400 of the four-sided fruits are grown each season. .

The Square Watermelon can be found in Japanese grocery stores in Tokyo and Osaka and is not currently available in the USA. Square watermelons grown in Brazil have lately become available in Great Britain, though, so we may be enjoying them here yet! Prices in Japan are in the $80 - $85 range (about 10,000 yen) when in season.

A Vietnamese student, Dinh Tran Nguyen, a senior student of agriculture and applied biotechnology from southern Can Tho University has also successfully grown square-shaped watermelon, adding to the success of scientists in developed countries like Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The grower plans to try shaping "gourds and bottles" out of watermelon next year. Can I put in a request for a aeroplane-shaped watermelon.........?