There are few things in this world that scream “summer” to me like watermelon. Unfortunately, they’re one of those rare treats as my father is allergic to it, so I only had it at other people’s parties when growing up. Now, my wife doesn’t like it, so it’s rare I can convince myself to lug a watermelon home and slice it up, just for myself. But the local grocery store now has mini seedless watermelons for a good price, so I’ve already had two so far this summer and plan on going back for another on Friday. So much love for watermelon in my heart. It’s just juicy and delicious and amazing. I’m just curious, did anyone out there grow up salting their watermelon? Until I was 10, we lived in Michigan and I’d never even heard of it, but when we moved to Tennessee, everyone did it. It does bring out the juiciness of it, but it’s also, you know, terrible for you.
Now, I know watermelon can be a tough flavor for tea. Many people have tried (two come to mind in 52teas watermelon iced tea and DavidsTea’s Luscious Watermelon), but I have to say I wasn’t horribly impressed with those I’ve tried. So while I had to try it, I just had to, I wasn’t holding out a lot of high hopes for this watermelon matcha (found here:http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/watermelon-matcha.html). When I opened the package, I got juicy watermelon…but a hint of metallic or whatever it was that made the lemon, peach, and mango teas so bitter. But since warm weather has moved in, I’ve gotten into the habit of mixing my tea with room temperature or cold water, and it definitely paid off this time. I get juicy, creamy watermelon and absolutely no bitterness. Mmmm, this is good. This is really good. It’s light and refreshing and utterly perfect for these coming summer months…it’s gonna be a scorcher. This is the watermelon I’ve been searching for and I can’t wait to try it blended up with some fresh melon. This kind of tastes like a watermelon bubble tea, but without the overwhelming sweetness. Maybe I need to find some tapioca pearls. It reminds me of the Ten Ren watermelon oolong blended with fresh melon, not Freshly Squeezed’s idea of a bubble tea. I’m only a little bitter, I promise. But this is a definite restock for me, and one I will definitely be sharing with friends and family.
I really need to write up my Red Leaf Tea matcha review so I can start trying all these ones you’re raving about!
You do! I try to get all of mine done within the first few days of receiving my package, otherwise I just forget.