Chinese watermelon and ginger chilled drink

Name: Chinese watermelon and ginger chilled drink
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Northern China
Ingredients: 1.5 kg cold watermelon flesh, rind removed, seeds removed, cut into rough pieces; 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 tbsp rock sugar (bīng táng) or caster sugar, or to taste; 100 ml cold water; 1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice (optional, for brightness); 4 large handfuls crushed ice, to serve; 4 thin slices fresh cucumber (optional, traditional Chinese garnish)

From the Song Dynasty teahouses to the summer streets of Beijing: chilled watermelon juice with fresh ginger and rock sugar, rooted in the Daoist principle of cooling yin foods for summer heat

Origin: Northern China (Gansu, Shaanxi, and the Yellow River Basin)

From the journey of Watermelon.

Watermelon entered China via the Silk Road during the Tang or early Song dynasty, and the Chinese character for it (西瓜, xī guā, meaning 'western melon') preserves the memory of its exotic western provenance. Chinese Daoist dietary medicine classifies watermelon as an extremely yin (cooling) food, making it ideal in the summer months to balance the body's internal heat. Fresh ginger (姜, jiāng) is classified as yang (warming) in the same system, meaning the pairing of watermelon juice with fresh ginger achieves a perceived dietary balance as well as a pleasing flavour contrast. Rock sugar (冰糖, bīng táng), made from crystallised cane sugar, has a milder, more rounded sweetness than refined white sugar and was the traditional Chinese sweetener for cold drinks and tonic preparations. Watermelon juice stalls selling pressed juice over crushed ice are a fixture of Chinese summer street food culture, particularly in the hot cities of northern China.

Ingredients

base

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

flavouring

30 g fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

sweetening

2 tbsp rock sugar (bīng táng) or caster sugar, or to taste

liquid

100 ml cold water

optional

1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice (optional, for brightness)

to serve

4 large handfuls crushed ice, to serve

garnish

4 thin slices fresh cucumber (optional, traditional Chinese garnish)

Method

Dissolve the rock sugar in 100ml of just-boiled water, stirring until fully melted. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.
Combine the watermelon pieces, sliced ginger, and cooled sugar syrup in a blender. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth.
Strain the blended juice through a fine-mesh sieve or a piece of muslin into a jug, pressing firmly on the solids. Discard the fibre and ginger pieces.
Add the lime juice if using. Stir and taste: adjust ginger, sweetness, and acidity as you prefer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Fill four glasses with crushed ice. Pour the chilled drink over the ice. Garnish each glass with a thin cucumber slice on the rim if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

The ginger quantity can be adjusted significantly: 30g produces a gentle background warmth; 50g gives a more assertive ginger flavour. For a more authentic Chinese presentation, serve in small cups or bowls, without ice, with the drink simply well chilled. The drink keeps refrigerated for up to 24 hours; the ginger flavour will intensify and the colour may deepen slightly as it rests.

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control