Why Do Cubans Sprinkle Salt On Watermelon?
A Cuban man taught me about the peculiar custom of sprinkling salt on watermelon. It was such an unusual use of salt that my first assumption was that he had a defective sense of taste, and my second idea was that he did not know what watermelon was or how it should be eaten.
However, when I enquired, he informed me that salting watermelon was a widespread practice among Cubans, and he encouraged me to give it a try. So I did. It wasn’t awful. It was a lovely, sweet-salty combination that enhanced the flavor of the fruit; I still like my watermelon unsalted. (A dash of salt probably also increases the rehydration benefit of watermelon by restoring the sodium lost via perspiration — similar to natural Gatorade.)
The second-most bizarre usage of a common condiment I’ve tried was peanut butter in oats, which I learned from an Oregon woman who prepared her daughter’s oatmeal in this manner.
In addition to being an unexpectedly delicious complement to the maple and brown sugar flavor of the oatmeal and adding a delightful creaminess, peanut butter fortifies the cereal with additional vitamins, protein, and healthy saturated and unsaturated fats, thereby increasing its satiety and sustaining power. If you enjoy peanut butter and oatmeal alone, consider combining them for a great snack. (I also recommend adding a couple ice cubes of evaporated milk for added richness and creaminess.)
