When buying watermelon, I always choose yellow over red, and I have yet to be disappointed. I could be biased, but I think yellow is juicier and sweeter. It’s definitely pricier — you want quality, you pay.
Having said that, I also think there’s little chance of mediocre red pakwan in this hotter-than-usual weather. The plant traces its origins all the way back to the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa (which, if you’re old enough to remember, was the setting for the ’80s comedy movie series The Gods Must Be Crazy). In fact, I’ve read somewhere that withholding water from watermelon a week prior to harvesting yields sweeter fruit.
On our recent trip to Mindanao, we saw lots of watermelon sold along the highway, almost exclusively red. We didn’t stop for any. “You want cheap,” Jenny had said, “head over to Abuyog; they sell for ₱7 a kilo there.” That’s a two-hour drive from our place.
And that was where I found myself yesterday after an impromptu decision to join my parents on a trip to Tacloban further north. Except the pakwan cost exactly the same (₱15) as they did back home. “You’re hopeless,” said Ma, who had stayed behind in the car. “One look at you and those vendors knew you weren’t the haggling type.”
“Hopeless” is relative. She was absolutely right about my disinclination to haggle, but I packed those watermelons into a cool, citrusy drink and that she liked. You should try it; I need some affirmation here.
Citrusy Watermelon Cooler
Yellow watermelon works even better in this beverage. You can use sugar or any equivalent sweetener instead of honey.
- 4 cups watermelon, deseeded
- 1 lemon or 5 kalamansi, juiced
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2½ cups cold water
- Dissolve honey in warm water. Set aside.
- Purée watermelon in a blender or food processor. Strain out solids and discard.
- Stir together watermelon juice, lemon (or kalamansi) juice, cold water, and honey water. Adjust to taste and serve with lots of ice.
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