However, I caution you that now you will probably try it, and form an opinion after all. Consequently, re-voting is permitted. If you still don’t have an opinion after that, check to make sure that it’s watermelon you’re eating.
It’s entirely possible that, after Googling the concept and logic of the idea, I shall try it, come to no firm conclusion about it either tasting sweeter or being an abomination, and therefore still have no opinion. But I can’t try right now because nobody sells watermelon in Kinlochleven and I’m not driving to Fort William to pick up some pre-sliced/diced melon medley pack after just getting back from London and trying Innis & Gunn 6.6% as a tasty cold cure!
Judging from your response I suspect that the practice may be largely confined to the New World. But here in the States we are occupied today with celebrating Independence Day, so I expect a livelier turnout for this poll in the days to follow.
A July 4th table without watermelon would be the most inconceivable of all. It’s just not done.
As a child growing up in South Carolina, I cannot recall ever seeing watermelon served without shakers of salt on the table. Everyone, including me, ate it that way. Nowadays, I eat watermelon “straight up” mostly because I usually eat someone else’s watermelon and folks here in Texas don’t do salt on watermelon. I like it either way and regard it as a matter of taste. I suppose that could place me in the “no opinion” category but that’s not literally true so I checked “yes.”
Ah. Yes, your climate would be inconducive to growing watermelon, wouldn’t it. I forgot. Well, consider this an exercise in getting to know your Yank cousins better, then.
Try to have a little patience Peter. Barely 45 minutes has yet elapsed.
I feel fairly certain that I would react to salt on watermelon the same way I reacted to black pepper on strawberries when I tried it. “Try it!” they said. “You’ll love it!” they said. “It really works!” they said. Yeah right.
I will ask my younger brother, who’s lived in the States (mostly Seattle) for the past 20 years, and with whom I’ve just spent one weekend in the Highlands and one in London before we flew our separate ways yesterday…
I cut local (not the styrofoam California monstrosities) strawberries, sprinkle sugar on them, and put them in the fridge for a few hours to macerate, then eat them with whipping (heavy) cream or clotted (devonshire) cream. Mostly the former, being a lot cheaper in these parts.
I do the same with ripe peaches. Incidentally, I had an ex-girlfriend who was astonished to learn that peaches and cream was a recipe, not merely an expression.