How to pick a watermelon? A fresh, moist stem end and a sound as solid as patting your chest mean it is a good melon.
On a scorching summer day, when you want to cool down and quench your thirst, a slice of naturally refreshing, sweet watermelon is the best choice for consumers in Taiwan, China. But how exactly should you pick a watermelon so that it is juicy and sweet? How can you tell whether a watermelon still has pesticide residue? How do the experts grow natural watermelons without growth hormones or pesticides? Hong Xiang, a farmer who has grown watermelons for ten years in Wanbao, Miaoli, tells everyone how to choose a safe, good watermelon in summer.
A good watermelon: look at the stem end, listen to the sound
Hong Xiang, chairwoman of the Wanbao Community Development Association, who herself has suffered greatly from land expropriation, recently came in front of the Executive Yuan to stand with the Dapu residents who have likewise suffered greatly from land expropriation, bringing watermelons to share with the supporters to cool down and quench their thirst. True to a farmer's character of selflessly sharing good food, in front of the police shields she calmly explained her own tips for choosing a watermelon: "Look at the stem end of the watermelon. If it is still moist and fresh, it was picked not long ago; if it is already dry and shriveled, the flavor will be worse."
Hong Xiang said that watermelons sold in ordinary markets are mostly harvested when they are six or seven parts ripe, because of the worry that unsold stock will rot, but the best moment to savor a watermelon is actually when it is eight parts ripe. She said that you can tell how ripe a watermelon is just by listening to the sound. "Tap it with your hand. If the sound is like the solid sound of patting your chest, it is a good watermelon; if it is like the hollow thud of knocking on your head, then inside it is either water damage or rot!"
Besides looking at the stem end and listening to the sound, a watermelon's "color and stripes" are also an important basis for selection. Hong Xiang, with her seasoned experience, explained: "If the watermelon's color is emerald green and the straight stripes are distinct, it is relatively healthy." If you want to cut beautiful slices of watermelon with few seeds when serving guests, you should also cut along the stripes. She said, "Put the knife on a stripe, and I guarantee your cut surface will be juicy, just like what restaurants sell."
