A Chinese farmer claims to have successfully created a hybrid fruit that allows people to enjoy the taste of both melon and watermelon in equal measure.
A 40-something watermelon farmer from Fuyang, in China’s Anhui province, referred to only as Mr. A by Chinese news outlets recently lit up Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, with photos of a strange-looking fruit that he claimed was half-melon and half-watermelon. He had apparently documented his efforts to create a melon-watermelon hybrid for a while, but last week he posted the fruits of his labor on Weibo, claiming that he had finally achieved success after several failed attempts. The unusual fruits look like watermelons growing on top of melons, which he claims allows people to enjoy the taste of both fruits at the same time.
“I have made several new attempts to transplant melon seeds into watermelon seeds, but this time I finally succeeded. It is possible,” Mr A recently wrote on Weibo.
Although the fruits shown in the photos and videos doing the rounds on Chinese social media are about the size of a human fist, thus still in development, they have already captured the imagination of millions, many of whom have expressed their excitement in the comments. However, seeing as this is still a work in progress, expectations should be held in check.
Despite boasting about his achievement, Mr. A himself admitted that the process still needs perfecting, as the results are not always as planned.
“Some of the modified varieties planted in the field grew exactly half the watermelon and melon as expected. However, others were 10% watermelon and 90% melon,” the Chinese farmer wrote.
For more extreme hybridization, check out this unique tree that produces 40 different fruits.
