# Hall, ‘Watermelons as Food in the 21st Century’, 2004 > [!cite] > Hall, Charles V. ‘Watermelons as Food in the 21st Century’. In *Food Security and Vegetables: A Global Perspective*. Prem Nath Agricultural Science Foundation, 2004. --- Watermelons ‘were reported to be growing in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, Mediterranean Coasts, Europe and America in the late 1500s. Growth spread to Japan from South China and Southeast Asia.’ [[Hall, ‘Watermelons as Food in the 21st Century’, 2004|(Hall 2004)]] ^733c53 They didn’t look much like modern cultivar. [[Hall, ‘Watermelons as Food in the 21st Century’, 2004|(Hall 2004)]] ^f13a60