I’ve Been Eating Watermelon Wrong

For years, my answer to the question, “What’s your favourite food?” has been watermelon. Despite being an enormous fan of almost every dish imaginable, there’s something about a thick, juicy slice of watermelon that has me salivating. Maybe it’s the colour scheme, the sweetness, the texture, or a combination of the three, but I’ve always loved holding a piece by the rind and attacking it with my face.

Now, because of my passion for this fruit, I could never understand why anyone would leave any of the pink (red?) flesh on the rind when they claimed to be finished. I would gnaw at the rind until every trace of colour was gone, and all that was left was the gross white part that gives one a tummy ache (as well as the green skin itself, of course). I understand the pink flesh that borders the white doesn’t taste quite as good, but I still like it- it’s still watermelon. So the other day, I was devouring a slice and I was suddenly struck with a question:

Have I been eating watermelon wrong my whole life?

I stopped chewing and looked down at the fruit in my sticky hands. I knew what was about to happen: I would experience euphoria while I took the first few bites, but once I got down to scraping my teeth along the rind to finish every last trace of colour, I would be left with a sad, plant-like aftertaste in my mouth, not to mention the intense need to floss. I furrowed my brow and wondered, “Is it worth it?”

I began devising alternate methods of eating my precious watermelon, and I landed on one which seemed promising: what if I cut it off the rind (which I know everyone has done), but eat the white-border parts first? That way, my first few mouthfuls taste fine, but I’m saving the delicious bites until the end, leaving me with a sweet aftertaste and an immensely satisfied feeling in my tum.

And I was right. It was amazing. I ate it with a knife and fork (call me a sell-out), and a huge grin.

This may not seem like that big a revelation for you, but for me it was monumental. I chose to re-evaluate what was not only the best part of something I love, but what was most important, something I wanted to savour, and prioritise my enjoyment accordingly.

Maybe there’s a lesson here about saving the best things until after you’ve ground through the rest, or not wasting a good thing on a bad aftertaste, or even exercising self-control, but I don’t know. I’ve discovered a better way for me to eat my favourite food, so I’m happy.