The No1 thirst-quencher

Scorching summer days are back again. A trip to the adjacent city makes you exhausted, you get wet with excessive sweating and the hot sun makes you wander with a parched throat. One of the very common object that helps you beat the heat now, is nothing but the plump watermelons seen on the roadside. Dig into the inner red fleshy part of the fruit and it will quench your thirst to an extent. 

Anyone, who once tasted the watermelon, will surely long for its cooling effect in every summer. No wonder, the great American writer Mark Twain once commented that this is the fruit that ``angels eat''.Now, a bit of general information about the fruit. Watermelon or Citrullus lanatus, belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceae and it is believed that the fruit has its origins in Africa. But nowadays it is cultivated extensively in almost all countries and the mounds of watermelons seen on the roadsides in any Indian city during summer, is a testimony of its popularity in India. It contains more than 90 percent of water and is rich in vitamins and minerals. 

The medicinal quality of the fruit makes it an integral part of available treatments or dietician's prescriptions. According to some Ayurvedic practitioners, watermelon has been used for the treatment of urinary diseases. They are used as beauty aids too, mainly in skincare treatments.So, don't hesitate to have a bite of the juicy red flesh -- the watermelon can do more than just quenching the thirst.

Hi and welcome to POE.

For me, the perfect hot weather drink is a nice hot cup of Irish Breakfast tea with milk. I know it sounds strange, but hot tea cools me off better than iced drinks in the summer.

Sue, yes it is a slang term for idiot that I am able to confirm having used previously myself.