Types of watermelon varieties that are grown in India

Come summers and the one thing that comes in abundance is watermelons. It is one of the juiciest and sweetest fruits that comes in summers and a perfect cooler for the scorching hot season. Be it a smoothie, popsicle or even juice, one can make anything with it. If you like doing creativity in your kitchen, then you can make gazpacho with it even. Or go the easy way possible, just cut it into pieces and enjoy it with some black salt. Watermelon is known to be super-rich in vitamin C and contains plenty of potassium, copper, vitamin B5, and vitamin A. No doubt, watermelons are enjoyed by people of any age group. Here are the types of watermelon explained by Varun Khurana, who is the Founder & CEO of Otipy. Otipy buys watermelons from farmers who are using Mulching technology for growing watermelons. This leads to sustainable farming & better produce in terms of product safety & sweetness. (Images courtesy: Istock)

Also Read: Watermelon pizzas, soup and salads: Try non-boring ways to eat the fruit!

The Kiran watermelon has a thinner inner rind than other varieties of watermelon. This variety has a vibrant pink to red flesh with dark brown-black seeds and dark green shell. Its juicy flesh is sweet at 12 to 14 per cent sugar content and it offers a slightly grainy texture. These watermelons have gained popularity in recent years and are sourced from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Watermelon tastes best when we use Watermelon Kiran with a hint of lemon and mint in it.

The attraction of Vishala watermelon is its beautiful golden-yellow rind. It has 12% sugar with its flesh red, tender and juicy content. The rind is thin but good and weighs approximately 2.5-3.5kgs. A study also showed that watermelon juice is effective at decreasing muscle soreness following exercise. They are grown in Punjab and Haryana in India. The watermelon Vishala is naturally very sweet to taste which can act as the perfect ingredient to make popsicles to quench your ice cream cravings as a healthier substitute.

Namdhari watermelons have deep red firm flesh and high quality seeds. The shell is light green in colour with strips on it. It tastes very sweet and is sourced from Maharashtra, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. This watermelon's juice and arginine intake are associated with reduced insulin resistance in some studies. Its taste is not very sweet but has juicy content. A nice Mediterranean Salad consisting of mint leaves, cucumber and feta cheese will be a good snacking option.

Aarohi yellow watermelon is vigorous & good yielder. It weighs 3-4 kg, with attractive dark yellow flesh. The fruit rind is dark green with darker stripes. It has a somewhat sweet flavour. Aarohi watermelons are sourced from Haryana in India. It is a good source of citrulline, which is converted into arginine in your body. Both of these amino acids aid nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is a gas molecule that causes the tiny muscles around your blood vessels to relax and dilate. This leads to a reduction in blood pressure. The Yellow Watermelon variant is rich in Vit A compared to the other types that are rich in Vit C. Since the taste of this watermelon is the same compared to our regular watermelon, it can be a perfect partner to make a thick Smoothie with Aarohi watermelon, fresh Banana and Orange to beat the heat.

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