Brazilian watermelon and lime granita

From Bahia's Atlantic heat: frozen watermelon and fresh lime, scraped into crystalline granita, a direct descendant of the Arab sherbet tradition carried to Brazil via Portugal

Origin: Bahia (Salvador), Brazil

From the journey of Watermelon.

Watermelon reached Brazil through two routes: Spanish colonists carried seeds from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean in the 1530s, and Portuguese colonists, trading along the West African coast, brought both seeds and cultivation knowledge to Bahia in the late 16th century. Enslaved West Africans, many of whom came from cultures where watermelon had been cultivated for millennia, reinforced its presence by bringing their own seeds. Brazil's northeast coast, with its equatorial heat and Atlantic humidity, produces watermelons of extraordinary sweetness. The granita of this recipe is a direct culinary descendant of the Arab sherbet tradition: the technique of freezing sweetened fruit juice and scraping it into crystalline flakes was known across the Islamic world from the 9th century onwards, transmitted to Sicily by Arab colonists and thence to Portugal and Brazil. Fresh lime juice, native to the Caribbean and tropical Americas, replaces the rosewater and saffron of the Mughal and Arab versions with an acidic brightness that is specifically a New World flavour development.

Ingredients

base

1.5 kg cold watermelon flesh, rind and seeds removed, cut into rough chunks

acid

3 large limes, juiced (about 60ml)

sweetening

80 g caster sugar, or to taste (depending on the sweetness of the watermelon)

herbs

1 large handful fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish

seasoning

0.5 tsp flaky sea salt (a small amount heightens the sweetness)

Method

Blend the watermelon chunks, lime juice, sugar, mint leaves, and salt together until completely smooth.
Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide, shallow freezer-safe container (a large baking tray works well). The shallower the container, the faster and more evenly the granita will freeze.
Place in the freezer. After 1 hour, use a fork to scrape and break up the ice crystals forming around the edges. Stir the slush towards the centre.
Return to the freezer. Repeat the scraping and stirring every 30 to 45 minutes for 3 to 4 more hours, until the entire container is a mass of loose, coarse ice crystals with no liquid remaining.
To serve, pile the granita generously into chilled bowls or glasses and serve immediately with a sprig of fresh mint.

Notes

Granita keeps well in the freezer for up to 5 days. If it freezes too solidly between servings, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then scrape vigorously with a fork to restore the crystalline texture. The mint can be omitted for a cleaner watermelon flavour. A tablespoon of cachaça (Brazilian sugar cane spirit) stirred into the base before freezing adds a subtle adult note and slightly slows the freezing, producing finer ice crystals.

The Gastrographer

Name: Brazilian watermelon and lime granita
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Brazil
Ingredients: 1.5 kg cold watermelon flesh, rind and seeds removed, cut into rough chunks; 3 large limes, juiced (about 60ml); 80 g caster sugar, or to taste (depending on the sweetness of the watermelon); 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish; 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt (a small amount heightens the sweetness)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control