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The Way of Worldly Watermelon

Enhancing a summer favorite

By Joshua ReedPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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From the moment the sweet summer staple touched my tongue, I had a favorite food forever. One of the first thoughts that a person pairs with the season of the sun is watermelon. The refreshing splash of juice as you bite into the perfect wedge just can’t be replaced by any other fruit—but it can be enhanced.

I went through a phase when I was younger where I experimented with my food. While children my age were playing with their food or refusing to eat it, I was trying to make it better. One summer, I looked around at a block party and saw everyone enjoying juicy watermelon. I wasn’t the only one who loved it, but driven by a change to be different, I took the container of sugar by a pitcher of sun tea and poured the crystals on my fruit.

It was one of the first times my consciousness expanded. My eyes widened as my taste buds were lit up with a double dose of sweetness. The grainy texture of the sugar mixed with the smooth angle of the watermelon wedge made me want to go back for more and more until my stomach twisted. Imagine my disappointment when I found out a lot of people put sugar on their watermelon.

My next idea to evolve the taste of watermelon was to go in the opposite direction. Instead of making the sweet fruit sweeter, I was going to make it sweet and salty. Fueled by a recent addiction to salty crackers and peanuts, I took the shaker from the dinner table and salted my watermelon. I didn’t know such a grace existed.

The contrast of the concoction put my taste buds at war as they decided which they liked better. The salt dried my mouth and the fruit rehydrated it. My brain sent me back to hoard the watermelon like a gluttonous gargoyle. My brother was the first to take the shaker from my hands and mimic the recipe I thought I had invented.

I was content to sit in the shade and have my salted watermelon. My young mind didn’t think my favorite fruit could get any better. Then, my next door neighbors arrived with reinforcements for the depleted watermelon. I walked up to my neighbor’s son with a swagger because I knew the salted watermelon would blow him away.

We sat in front of the fresh bowl and he took a finely squared cut of watermelon. I went to offer him another saltshaker with raised eyebrows, but he already had some kind of shaker with him. It wasn’t salt, I thought it looked like barbecue rub, but when I saw the colors of the Mexican flag and the focus on my neighbor’s face, I watched as he applied his own spice.

When he looked like he had just bitten into rich chocolate, I stuck out my hand in hopes that he would share. I tried to read the label, which was mostly in Spanish, and only made out the name “Tajin”. I didn’t have a lot of experience with anything other than salt and pepper, but I decided to be brave and pour some on.

As I crunched into the square of watermelon on a fork, I was assaulted with saltiness and heat. This took the contrast to a whole different level. There was salty to fight the melon, but a certain fire to fight the water. As I swallowed, my throat joined my taste buds in their war and my mind tried to decide if it was suffering or enjoying the experience.

I coughed because of the amount I put on the slice, I knew in my heart that nothing could enhance watermelon more “Tajin”. The wonderful way of watermelon is known worldwide, but only those that have known the touch of “Tajin” have experienced the final form of the fruit.

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About the Creator

Joshua Reed

Welcome all. Here is a place for me to share my various inventions as the muses communicate them. I plan to follow the schedule below. I hope you enjoy!

Motivation Monday

Tech Tuesday

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Comments (1)

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  • Mariann Carroll2 years ago

    Could the resist a watermelon story .Tajin . You made this story epic with the weapon of salt and spice. Enjoyed

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