The coolest fruit in Kerala right now is not watermelon

The first sign of real summer in Kerala is not the rising temperature. It is the sight of pale yellow snap melons stacked at roadside stalls, some already split open as if they could not wait any longer. Known locally as pottu vellari, this fruit quite literally cracks when ripe, which is how it earned its name.

Across parts of Ernakulam and around Kodungallur, snap melon has long been a post-paddy crop. Farmers sow it in fields that have just yielded rice, making smart use of leftover moisture in the soil. It grows fast, needs relatively little fuss and arrives just in time for peak heat.

Yet while city dwellers queue up for chilled glasses of snap melon juice, many farmers speak of fluctuating prices and market uncertainty. It is a strange contrast. The fruit that saves us from the sun does not always guarantee steady returns for the people who grow it.

Still, once it reaches your kitchen, snap melon is pure summer joy. It is nearly all water, delicately sweet and incredibly light. It does not overpower your taste buds, which makes it perfect for refreshing drinks.

Here is how to turn it into your new heatwave habit.

Snap melon cooler
Ingredients
1 ripe snap melon
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar or melted jaggery
1 to 1½ cups chilled water or tender coconut water
A pinch of cardamom powder
Ice cubes

Preparation
Peel the snap melon and scoop out the seeds
Chop the flesh and add it to a blender with chilled water or tender coconut water
Add sugar or jaggery and blend until smooth
Strain if you like it silky, or keep the pulp for extra body
Finish with a whisper of cardamom and plenty of ice.

If you want to make it feel indulgent, swap some of the water for thin coconut milk. It turns creamy without losing that breezy summer feel.