growing a square watermelon

Next time you visit the store, make sure that you look for cubic watermelons. Yes, you heard me right – cubic watermelons!

It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention; and for Tokyoites always clamouring for space, this new shape has provided them relief. The cubic shape gives them what they crave for, at least within their refrigerators. According to the farmers who grow them, cubic watermelons were created because they are easy to stock, easy to cut and easy to package.

The idea of a cubic shape, as opposed to its natural shape occurred to one farmer in Zentsuji in 2001. Since then, farmers in the quiet town in southern Japan have been famous around the world. Without doubt, Zentsuji has been registered as the birthplace of cubic watermelons. The concept is simple – as the fruit is growing in the vine, put it inside a cube-shaped glass casing, and Mother Nature takes care of the rest. Not as difficult as it sounds, is it?

Cubic they might be, but they come with a price tag. Each piece of the fruit sets you back 10,000 Yen, or roughly five times as costly as its normal brethren. Therefore many people might use them as presents or fashion statements, rather than daily consumption items.

It is not for nothing that Japan is called a land of innovation. New ideas emerge here almost every other day. So it remains to be seen what they are going to grow next – maybe a pre-cut, ready-to-eat, seedless variety? Who knows?

Technorati Tags: square watermelons,cubic watermelons,miracles of nature,fridge-friendly fruit,tweaking the nature,expensive fruits,innovative ideas,zentsuji farming,farmers in japan,the race for space

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