One in a melon

It is impossible to imagine summer in Uzbekistan without sweet and juicy melons. Walking through an Uzbek bazaar, you’re sure to see shoppers lightly tapping on watermelons. First-time visitors might find this ritual a bit strange, but there is a logical explanation. Below we offer some basic rules for choosing the best and sweetest summer melons.

Text by Karomat Gaffarova

Photos by Mukhiddin A Lee and Madina Azam

Knowing how to select a melon is part of the Uzbek soul. Since time immemorial, our grandfathers and grandmothers knew just how to choose the most delicious and juicy fruits. If you have difficulty spotting the best melons, you can ask the vendor for help – Uzbek sellers are friendly and always willing to show their most choice and ripe offerings. But below we offer some tips for melon neophytes.

Melons

In order to choose a sweet fruit, you need to pay attention to the scent, clean rind and sound. You should not buy melons near roads and highways – these tend to have thin skins, allowing harmful substances and toxins to be easily absorbed into the fruit.

Before buying, you should inspect the melon carefully. It should not have cracks or cuts – such fruit will quickly go sour and rot. You should also remember that a ripe melon has a honey-pear aroma, while the one that has no smell is unripe or already spoiled. The melon should be weighty and seem heavier than its size. Also note that, when tapped on, a ripe melon will produce a muffled sound (this is the opposite of watermelon). An additional check is the hardness of the fruit.

Another little secret of how to choose a melon lies in its rind: if the melon rind is too soft and leaves traces after tapping, it means that the fruit is overripe and should not be eaten. Also check the ‘tail’ (or stem, if present) of the melon: it should be slightly dried-out.

Watermelon

Choosing a watermelon is similar to choosing a melon, but there are some differences. For starters, when tapping the fruit, there should be a ringing sound (after a little practice, you can easily determine the correct sound). Also, the watermelon should crackle slightly when lightly squeezed, which indicates its maturity and juiciness.

There should also be no cracks on the watermelon, and it should be heavy. To be sure, you can ask the vendor to cut the watermelon. In such cases, it’s best to make a square-shaped cut on the ‘tail’ of the watermelon.

Knowing the secrets of how to choose a good watermelon, you’ll have no doubt about the ripeness of the fruit that you’ve purchased. By cutting it, you will smell and taste the sweet flavour and immediately know if you’ve made the right choice.