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Melon juice (cantaloupe drink)
Melon juice: long strands of cantaloupe floating in sweet iced water, a merienda drink from roadside stalls
Afternoon merienda across the Philippines means something cold from a plastic cooler at the school gate, a jeepney stop or a carinderia: sago't gulaman, buko juice or this melon drink, with ribbons of orange cantaloupe suspended in sweet water. Vendors scrape the melon with a special spiral shredder, a kayod ng melon, so you get thin strands to chew through a fat straw. It tastes fresh, sweet and gently musky, more refreshing than a smoothie because the water stays clear and light; some stalls add evaporated milk, but the plain version is the classic. The common mistake is using a melon that is not fully ripe, which gives pale, crunchy strands and a flat drink; choose one that smells sweet at the stem end and gives slightly when pressed there. Shred straight into the jug so the juice from the melon is not lost. It is ready when the strands are soft and floating, the water has turned faintly orange and it tastes of melon rather than plain syrup. Chef's tip: a box grater's coarse side or a fork scraped along the flesh both work if you don't own a melon shredder.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the drink
- 1 ripe cantaloupeabout 1.2 kg, fragrant at the stem end
- 3 ½ oz white sugar
- ¾ cup warm water
- 4 ¼ cups cold water
To serve
- 20 ice cubes (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dissolve 3 ½ oz white sugar in ¾ cup warm water, stirring until the syrup is completely clear. Pour it into a large jug with 4 ¼ cups cold water and chill while you prepare the melon.
3 minStep 2: Halve 1 ripe cantaloupe, scoop out the seeds and the stringy pulp around them, and leave the skin on so it is easy to hold.
3 minStep 3: Scrape the flesh into long thin strands with a melon shredder, or the coarse side of a grater, working directly over the jug so the juice drips in. Stop when you reach the pale green layer under the skin, which tastes bland.
8 minStep 4: Stir and taste: the water should be sweet and lightly orange. Leave it in the fridge for 10 minutes if you have time, so the flavour spreads through.
1 minStep 5: Fill glasses with 20 ice cubes, ladle in plenty of strands with the sweet water and serve with wide straws or spoons. It keeps for a day in the fridge.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 100 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does melon juice (cantaloupe drink) take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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