Watermelon, feta and mint salad

The ancient Egyptian summer: cold watermelon against salty white cheese and fresh mint, a combination that has refreshed the Middle East for four thousand years

Origin: Egypt

From the journey of Watermelon.

Watermelon was first cultivated in ancient Egypt, where seeds were found in Tutankhamun's tomb and the fruit depicted in hieroglyphics. The pairing of watermelon with soft, salty white cheese is ancient across the Middle East and North Africa: the saltiness of the cheese deepens the sweetness of the melon, while the cool temperature of both makes it one of the most effective summer foods ever devised. The modern version, popularised internationally via Greek and Turkish cuisine, uses feta; but the Egyptian original used gibna beda (white cheese). The addition of fresh mint and a splash of lime is the Levantine refinement that makes the combination complete.

Ingredients

Base

  • 1.5 kg watermelon, rind removed, cut into triangles or large cubes

Cheese

  • 200 g feta cheese, broken into large chunks

Herbs

  • 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

Optional

  • 0.5 small red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lime or lemon, juiced

Seasoning

  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Method

  1. Chill the watermelon in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. The colder, the better.
  2. Arrange the cold watermelon pieces on a large serving platter. Scatter the feta chunks over the top.
  3. If using, scatter the thinly sliced red onion over the watermelon and feta.
  4. Tear the mint leaves and scatter generously over everything.
  5. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the lime or lemon over the top. Season with flaky salt, black pepper, and chilli flakes if using.
  6. Serve immediately. This salad does not keep; it should be assembled and eaten at once.

Notes

The best watermelons for this dish are the small, dense varieties with deep red, sweet flesh; not the large, watery commercial varieties. In Egypt and the Levant, the salad is made with gibna beda (Egyptian white cheese) or akkawi; feta is the Greek and Western adaptation. A drizzle of pomegranate molasses instead of lime is the Lebanese version. Both are equally good.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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