Watermelon Juice

A refreshing beverage, making Watermelon Juice is a simple process of blending the fruit and enjoying the drink. The fruit is naturally sweet and made up of over 90 percent water. This makes it easy to experiment with. For instance, try adding chaat masala or black salt to the juice for a slight kick and to fulfil that salt craving. Or add rosewater or gulkand for a fresh, sweet touch. Mint and/or ginger is another route to go if you want a herbal touch to your juice. Watermelon Juice is also a great base in case one wants to experiment with cocktails. Add tequila for a Watermelon Margarita or dry gin, lemon, black pepper and honey for a Peppermelon.

Watermelon has several health benefits that make it a superfood. It’s crammed with the antioxidant Lycopene, which helps prevent cancer and diabetes. Its beta-cryptoxanthin prevents joint inflammation. It’s also rich in Vitamin A, which is key to healthy eyesight. Since it has such a high quantity of water, it’s also a good hydrator.

The watermelon arrived in India around the fourth-century AD. Susruta Samhita author Susruta, a physician and surgeon, notes that watermelons were cultivated along the banks of the Indus river. He refers to the fruit as kalinda or kalinga.

India is home to several varieties of the fruit, and are named Noorjehani, Anarkali, Faizabadi, Jaunpuri, and more. An American version, called Sugar Baby, is popular in Maharashtra. And West Bengal grows a Japanese variety called Asahi Yamato.