Did you know that yellow watermelons exist?

When you think of a watermelon, chances are you're imagining a large, round melon with a green rind and a bright pink, nearly red interior. 

But did you know that not all watermelons are red?

In much the same way that there are different varieties of apples, there are also different varieties of watermelon, and not all of them are pink and red.

The origins of yellow watermelons

Surprisingly, yellow watermelons were cultivated before red melons. They were first grown in Africa about 5000 years ago. Through careful cross-breeding, red watermelons were eventually produced.

Yellow watermelons may be a rare variety in the world, but they can be found in a few countries, including Nigeria.

How they taste

According to experts, you can tell a lot about the way a watermelon tastes based on how it looks. Yellow watermelons have a sweet honey-like flavour; some even consider them naturally sweeter than red watermelons.

Yellow and orange watermelons are generally sweeter than those with pink or red flesh.

Seedless watermelons tend to have a crisper texture than those with seeds, experts add.

Just like their red counterparts, yellow watermelons are a great source of vitamins A and C, which are essential for keeping your skin and immune system healthy.

What makes them yellow

Yellow melons get their hues from lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes. Some fruits and vegetables, like cherries, blueberries, grapes, and purple sweet potatoes, contain anthocyanins—a flavonoid responsible for their colours. Traditional watermelons get their pinkish to red hues from lycopene.

Interestingly, red and yellow watermelons look the same from the outside. As all watermelon rinds are naturally green, unless correctly labelled at the market, you will need to cut into a melon to determine if it is yellow or red.