Do Seeded Watermelons Have More Flavor?

It may seem like a no-brainer to buy a seedless watermelon instead of a seeded one — those hard black seeds are annoying to spit out, so it makes sense to avoid them completely and go with the seedless variety — however, it’s argued that seeded watermelon actually have more flavor than seedless. Is that true? And if so, why is it that the case?

This is actually just a big, fat myth. A watermelon’s flavor, sweetness, and texture is determined by a handful of different factors, like the climate it was grown in and when it was harvested. Genes are responsible for the expression of all these qualities. The more genes the fruit has, the more these things are expressed. A seedless watermelon has three sets of genes, while a seeded watermelon has two — that’s why a seedless watermelon can’t actually produce mature seeds.

Because it has more genes, a seedless watermelon’s sweet flavor is actually expressed more, so the fruit is actually more likely to be more flavorful than a seeded watermelon. What the seeded watermelon has going for it is the pure nostalgia of those black seeds and spitting them at your friend while you eat the fruit in the middle of a perfect summer day.