Taste of TCM: Watermelon

If you find yourself drawn to a juicy slice of watermelon on a hot summer day, trust your intuition! This staple of nearly every picnic is nature's gift to cool us off. Yet few people in the West know that watermelon has been an important healing food in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. TCM practitioners have used this fruit medicinally to treat kidney infection, liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. The essence of watermelon is cool, so it can help decrease internal heat, relieve thirst, and because it has the ability to increase the frequency of urination, it can help the body release toxins. Used topically on the skin, watermelon is very effective for overexposure to the sun. Simply juice it and wash it over the burned skin, providing cooling relief and promoting healing.

Watermelon Rind Summer Sauté

Enjoy your watermelon this summer, but don't throw out the rind! In Asia, the rind is considered as tasty—and nutritious—as the meat of this fruit. This traditional recipe puts to good use this typically unused part of the watermelon.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons of corn or vegetable oil
• 3 or 4 scallions, chopped, keeping the green and white portions separate
• A pinch of salt
• Approximately 2 cups of watermelon rind cut into 1-inch cubes (cut off the green skin but leave a little red on the rind for color)
• � teaspoon of ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
  

Directions

Preheat a wok or large frying pan on medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the white part of the scallions and cook for a few minutes, adding the salt. Toss in the watermelon cubes and ginger and stir-fry until a little water comes out of the melon. Don't overcook! At this point, near the end of cooking, add the soy sauce, sugar, and the green portion of the scallions, stirring to mix thoroughly and heat. Serve warm in a bowl or on a platter.

Makes two to three servings.