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All About Melons Trivia Quiz

What makes a melon a melon? Where did they all come from? Are there lots of different melons or only a few? For these answers and much more, please play on!

A multiple-choice quiz by timence. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
timence

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
360,772

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
441

Last 3 plays: Guest 172 (6/10), Guest 86 (3/10), Guest 172 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Melons are part of the larger Cucurbitaceae family. What other plants fit under this family? Hint

Pumpkins and squash

Plums and peaches

Oranges and lemons

Radishes and walnuts

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Question 2 of 10

2. Melon seeds have been found in archaeological digs in some ancient tombs, revealing their origins in which continent? Hint

Europe

South America

North America

Africa

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Question 3 of 10

3. The derivation of the word melon is a distortion of another fruit's name, the lemon.

True

False

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which melon, named after a season, is used in Asia as both a fruit and vegetable? Hint

Summer melon

Winter melon

Autumn melon

Spring melon

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Botanically, melons are in fact categorized as a berry.

True

False

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of the following is NOT a real melon name? Hint

Easter Bunny melon

Honeydew melon

Santa Claus melon

Canary melon

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Question 7 of 10

7. The watermelon is so-named because it is mainly composed of water. But how much of it is actually water? Hint

Just over half (50%)

Just under 80%

About 65%

Over 90%

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which country, the biggest in the world in 2012 by population, is considered to be the world's largest producer of melons? Hint

India

USA

Russia

China

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Question 9 of 10

9. Honeydew melons continue to sweeten after being picked.

True

False

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Question 10 of 10

10. You may have seen people picking up melons and knocking on them to determine ripeness levels. Does this work, and if so what are they listening for? Hint

Yes: a hollow, echo-like sound means it is ripe

No: the only way to tell is by smell

No: the only way to tell is by cutting it

Yes: a dull thump means it is ripe

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Melons are part of the larger Cucurbitaceae family. What other plants fit under this family?

Answer: Pumpkins and squash

The Cucurbitaceae family has over 900 species, which also include cucumbers. They grow primarily in tropical and subtropical areas, typically on vines.

2. Melon seeds have been found in archaeological digs in some ancient tombs, revealing their origins in which continent?

Answer: Africa

Most melons are thought to have originated in Africa, and some varieties in Asia. Watermelon seeds were indeed found in Tutankhamun's tomb; evidence of their cultivation has also been found as far back as the second millennium BC.

3. The derivation of the word melon is a distortion of another fruit's name, the lemon.

Answer: False

The derivation of the word melon is from the Latin, melopepo. Melopepo is in turn a further derivation of the Greek m�lopepon.

4. Which melon, named after a season, is used in Asia as both a fruit and vegetable?

Answer: Winter melon

Winter melon has its own genus (Benincasa). The mature melons are used as a vegetable, while the less ripe, sweeter melon is used as fruit.

5. Botanically, melons are in fact categorized as a berry.

Answer: True

A berry is simply defined botanically as a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. As such, melons fit into this category. Interestingly, so do other fruits not traditionally used as berries, including grapes, persimmon and tomatoes.

6. Which of the following is NOT a real melon name?

Answer: Easter Bunny melon

The Santa Claus melon, also called the Christmas melon, is green outside with white flesh, similar tasting to the canteloupe (rockmelon). As you may suspect, the canary melon is so named because of its bright yellow skin. The honeydew has sweet, green-colored flesh and is known in China as the bailan melon.

7. The watermelon is so-named because it is mainly composed of water. But how much of it is actually water?

Answer: Over 90%

Despite its sweet taste, the watermelon is in fact about 92% water by mass. It is high in vitamin C and consists of around 6% sugar. There are a number of varities of watermelon, including those with orange and yellow flesh, and even cubic (yes: cube shaped!)

8. Which country, the biggest in the world in 2012 by population, is considered to be the world's largest producer of melons?

Answer: China

China produces an estimated 8 million tonnes of melons each year, including watermelons, canteloupes and local Hami melon and Honeydew melon. This accounts for about half of the world's entire melon production, and is followed by Turkey at a much smaller 6%.

9. Honeydew melons continue to sweeten after being picked.

Answer: False

The best way to test a melon's ripeness is in most cases by feel; they shouldn't be too hard or too soft. While some like the honeydew continue to get softer off the vine, they actually don't get any sweeter so it's important to choose picking time carefully. Melons should be cut from the vine, not pulled.

10. You may have seen people picking up melons and knocking on them to determine ripeness levels. Does this work, and if so what are they listening for?

Answer: Yes: a dull thump means it is ripe

A dull thump means a reasonable volume of sugar has settled within the melon to allow full (but not too much) ripeness. As a general rule, about 10% of the sugar should have settled: farmers use a device called a hand refractometer, but many home gardeners use the knocking method with great success.

Source: Author timence

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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