The Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an exceptional fruit. The Spanish call it Sandía, whereas our Mallorcan friends call this melon a Síndria, Xíndria or simply, Meló d’aigua.

At this time of year, the Sandía melon is a thirst quencher par excellence when eaten on its own, but wait, there is much more to its propensities. The watermelon is a useful ingredient for a refreshing gazpacho soup by simply adding some stale bread, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet pepper, garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, onion, black pepper and salt. Watermelon is also a superb drink and makes a cool fruit juice when mixed with a bit of lemon juice and perhaps a bit of grated fresh ginger plus a twig or two of fresh mint. Best of all, I would recommend a watermelon smoothie. Use chunks of watermelon, the juice of half a lemon or, if possible, lime, again some fresh mint or even better, some chopped cilantro (coriander). Put the lot into a mixer and strain the blended result through a cheese cloth or a large strainer, and enjoy. You could add some ice cubes or even better, use some frozen red berries as cooling agents (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries). Mmmh, yumms.

The watermelon is known as a whole body cleanser. It has positive effects on our kidneys, bladder, heart, stomach, colon, liver and blood. A watermelon cleanse can be used to shed a few pounds in a short time. Three days of watermelon Summer detox can help your liver recover from excessive alcohol and/or caffeine intake. Amazing results can be achieved from the humble watermelon.

The photo was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: July 15th, 2010. The time was 19:30:49.