Day 6: The Art and Science of Watermelon

On a day when many are enjoying some sweet watermelon, I wanted to share a story that my cousin Kamran told me recently. He was about 13 or 14, living in Quetta, Pakistan, and crazy about squash. He would play every day after school, even while fasting during Ramadan – which meant riding his bicycle home from school from one end of town, and heading out to the Quetta Club, uphill and downhill all the way on the other end of town. The passion for sporting while fasting (bravo Algerians!) amazes me.Kamran would time his return home from the club so he would have a few minutes to stop at the market and choose a watermelon. He would strap the oblong shaped melon to the back of his bike, drape his squash racket across his shoulders and ride home, uphill and downhill, watermelon in tow. “I just love watermelon,” he says smiling.Kamran was relaying this story as he was cutting a watermelon he had brought to our house for a BBQ. He spent time choosing the watermelon, knocking it and prodding it, garnering the attention of other shoppers who wanted to know his science -  as did I.His 'tarbooz'  (watermelon) selection methodology is based on three principles, he tells me: "first, save your individuality for buying clothes (or vegetables), in picking a tarbooz pick one that looks more or less like the others in the lot; second, ping the tarbooz with your fingers to see if it sounds like there is water inside, as opposed to a solid rock like sound; and third, press the tarbooz to make sure it is just a little soft, but not too soft." Oh, and one last thing, never cut the tarbooz in very small pieces. "This makes it too soggy, and that's just not classy."Well, the art and science works, the watermelon was delicious!Day 6, Tradition 6: Watermelon