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Square or cube watermelons are
Cube watermelons were intended to fit more compactly in fridges and their shape makes them easier to cut as they don't roll. They were invented by graphic designer Tomoyuki Ono in 1978. He presented the watermelons in a gallery in
YouTube video depicting square watermelons
Cubes Japanese fruit Watermelons
Square or cube watermelons are watermelons
The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is widely cultivated worldwide, with more than 1,000 ...
grown into the shape of a cube
A cube or regular hexahedron is a three-dimensional space, three-dimensional solid object in geometry, which is bounded by six congruent square (geometry), square faces, a type of polyhedron. It has twelve congruent edges and eight vertices. It i ...
. Cube watermelons are commonly sold in Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, where they are essentially ornamental and are often very expensive, with prices as high as .
Purpose and uses
Cube watermelons were intended to fit more compactly in fridges and their shape makes them easier to cut as they don't roll. They were invented by graphic designer Tomoyuki Ono in 1978. He presented the watermelons in a gallery in Ginza
Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo ...
, Tokyo. He also applied for and received a patent in the United States.
The melons are grown in boxes and take the shape of the container, and they tend to appeal to wealthy or fashionable consumers. In 2001, square watermelons sold for in Japan (about ), two to three times the price of regular watermelons in Japanese stores. In Canada in 2014, some sold for $200.
Although cube melons were originally created with practicality in mind, the cost is prohibitive. The cube shape of the watermelon can only be achieved at the expense of its contents. To retain the proper shape, cube melons must be harvested before they are ripe, rendering them inedible.
Since the advent of the cube watermelon, other watermelon shapes have been introduced, such as hearts and pyramids. They are also available in other countries now, such as in Germany.
See also
*Unusually shaped fruits and vegetables
Unusually shaped fruits and vegetables have shapes that are not in line with their normal body plans. While some examples are just oddly shaped, others are heralded for their amusing appearance, often because they resemble a body part such as th ...
References
{{Japanese food and drinkExternal links
YouTube video depicting square watermelons
Cubes Japanese fruit Watermelons