Food - Drink
Why Watermelon Is Officially Considered A Vegetable In Oklahoma
By HALDAN KIRSCH
Watermelon is a beloved summertime snack — it's juicy, sweet, and refreshing on a hot day, and it works well as an ingredient in dishes like fruit salads. However, there are some who don’t recognize watermelon as a fruit, like the entire state of Oklahoma, which apparently decided that watermelon was a vegetable.
In 2007, House Bill 1669 was introduced to the Oklahoma House of Representatives to sanction watermelon as the state's official vegetable. Coincidentally, both the sponsors behind the bill represented Rush Springs, where the state’s annual watermelon festival is held, and possibly wanted to give watermelon a boost in reputation.
One of the sponsors claimed that the watermelon's placement in the Cucurbitaceae family makes it a relative of the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash — which are technically fruits, but considered vegetables by culinary definition. The bill was passed by a 78 to 19 vote in the chamber, making watermelons officially a vegetable.