The Right Way To Cut A Watermelon, According To An Italian Nonna

Everybody and their grandmother seems to have an opinion on how to cut watermelon. There are numerous different methods (we've tried nine of them), ranging from cutting watermelon like crinkle fries for dipping to shaping watermelon with cookie cutters for Instagramming — though you probably shouldn't bother with the latter method, since it's wasteful and makes for messy eating. To get a food professional's take on the best way to cut watermelon, The Takeout spoke with Italian food tour operator Marino Cardelli, founder of Experience BellaVita. Cardelli, in turn, passed the buck to his own grandma, Amina Ferretti. "She has lived her entire life in rural Abruzzo, raising her family on a farm," he told us, and watermelons grow in abundance in this region.

According to Cardelli, his grandmother "Cuts the watermelon in half, keeps one half whole in the fridge, and from the other half cuts only what's needed depending on how many people are eating." He explained that she feels smaller pieces are easier to eat and store. His father, however, prefers a different method: He cuts the melon in half and slices each half crosswise into wedges. "This method is great when you know the whole melon will be eaten, but with very large fruits sometimes over 33 pounds, it can be cumbersome," Cardelli opined.

Marino Cardelli's grandmother is a watermelon purist, preferring to eat her fruit plain, though she does use a knife to remove the seeds before biting into a slice. Her grandson seems to agree, asserting: "Italian watermelon, when perfectly ripe, is naturally so sweet that it needs nothing added." Many other Italians, however, like to flavor their watermelon with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Watermelon is also used in several different Italian recipes. In Abruzzo, as in Sicily, watermelon is often mixed with sugar and water to make the frozen treat known as granita. Some watermelon granita recipes are a bit more elaborate, such as one flavored with basil, mint, and pepperoncini. In Palermo, watermelon juice is cooked with cornstarch and sugar until it thickens into a pudding called gelo di melone. This pudding can also be flavored with jasmine and dressed up with chocolate or chopped pistachios.

Watermelon finds its way into savory Italian dishes, too. Not just salads, but even pasta, can be made with this summer fruit. Some Italians will also soak it in booze and add sugar to make a sweet, fruity watermelon liqueur.