Why do Chaoshan people eat watermelon with salt?

Watermelon, many people like to eat it. But I heard that in the Chaoshan area, people actually like to sprinkle some salt on watermelon before eating it, or dip it in salt water to eat it. I'm afraid many people can't understand this. Could it be that adding a little salt to watermelon would make it more delicious? In the eyes of Chaoshan people, this is really the case. They think sweet watermelons are more delicious when sprinkled with salty fine salt!

Why do Chaoshan people eat watermelons with salt? Let’s talk about those who were born in Chaoshan area. Let me "Shen" explain to you, you can try it when you eat watermelon in the future, and see if it becomes more delicious!

Remember, you must sprinkle a little bit of fine salt, that is, refined salt, not too much , it’s not pickled watermelon, why sprinkle a lot of salt on it. I am not responsible for being hit by salt.

I first need to explain two concepts: the contrast effect and the inhibition effect of taste.

Using a taste additive with a completely opposite taste to produce a contrasting effect is called a contrasting taste effect. Using an additive with a similar taste to weaken another taste is called taste suppression. Through this effect, simply adding salt can enhance or suppress pungent flavors. Among them, salt is the most commonly used, so salt is also called a taste enhancer.

The contrasting effect of taste

If sweet or spicy foods with strong tastes exist at the same time, one of them may enhance the subjective experience of the other taste. This is called the contrasting effect of taste. Sprinkle some salt before eating watermelon, so that the mouth and tongue will be exposed to the salty taste first, and then to the sweet taste. The sweetness will be amplified and it will feel sweeter. This is a typical taste contrast effect.

Related: Why is a little salt added to the watermelon juice sold in Hong Kong restaurants?

In order to get more sweet pleasure ~ the salty taste lowers the threshold of the taste buds for sweetness, and also This means that the ability of taste buds to recognize sweetness is greatly improved. In this way, the same sweetness can arouse the excitement of more taste buds, and people feel happier at this time.

Other tastes can also achieve the same stimulation, but bitterness and sourness are not as easy to obtain as salt, and the amount is not easy to control. Spicy is not a taste sensation. The remaining "fresh" taste will rob the beauty of the watermelon itself, right?

Please refer to Chapters 1 and 2 of "Food Chemistry" for explanation.

Taste suppression effect

All in all, sprinkling some salt before eating watermelon can indeed enhance the sweetness of watermelon. So beyond that, are there any benefits to adding salt?

What are the effects of eating watermelon with salt?

Adding salt to watermelon can relieve symptoms such as heat, thirst, oliguria, sweating, and irritability caused by eating watermelon, and is more conducive to the absorption of watermelon. of other nutrients.

In the hot summer, in order to appreciate its delicious taste, the more important thing is that watermelon can cool down and quench thirst, relieve summer heat and relieve troubles, making people feel comfortable. First of all, 94% of the pulp of watermelon is water, as well as sugar, vitamins, various amino acids and a small amount of inorganic salts. These substances can most effectively supplement the water and nutrients needed by the human body in high temperature seasons; secondly, the intake The water and inorganic salts in the body are metabolized into urine, which can also take away excess heat and achieve the effect of clearing away heat and replenishing qi.

Li Shizhen described the benefits of eating watermelon in detail in "Compendium of Materia Medica". Watermelon is sweet, cold and non-toxic. Water, cures bloody dysentery, relieves alcohol poisoning, and cures aphthous sores.” Watermelon is also called "Shengsheng Baihu Decoction" in medical books. Baihu Decoction is an effective prescription in traditional Chinese medicine for treating high fever, polydipsia and other symptoms of excess heat. It is said that eating watermelon can achieve the effects of this prescription, which shows how much doctors attach great importance to it. . From today's perspective, eating watermelon can be used as an auxiliary treatment for symptoms such as fever, thirst, oliguria, excessive sweating, and irritability that occur in summer heat stroke or other acute fever diseases.

In addition, the medicinal part of watermelon is the rind, which is called "watermelon green coat" by Chinese medicine. In fact, melon rind is far better than melon pulp in clearing away heat, diuresis and promoting fluid production, but not many people know about it. As long as the melon rind is slightly modified, it can become a rare summer dish. The simplest method is to peel off the rough green skin and remaining pulp on the outside, cut it into strips, and mix it with sesame oil, refined salt, sugar, and vinegar; it can also be stir-fried with onion, ginger, meat slices, etc., and then drizzled with it. The thin gravy is used in the pot, and it has a pleasant fragrance. After tasting it, it will whet your appetite.

It should also be mentioned in detail that although watermelon is good, it is always a cold product. If people with weak body and weak stomach eat too much, it is easy to cause abdominal pain and diarrhea; it should not be mixed with greasy food. If watermelon is eaten with warm food or drinks, the cold and heat will not be reconciled, which can easily cause vomiting. After cutting the watermelon, you should eat it as soon as possible, otherwise its sweet and juicy pulp will easily become an ideal "culture medium" for bacteria; when eating watermelon stored in the refrigerator, be sure to leave it at room temperature for a while after taking it out. Eat again to avoid damaging your body.