Watermelon, melon and cucumber belong to the Cucurbitaceous family, a term derived from “corb”, a Sanskrit word that means “twisting”, “crawling.” These plants, in fact, have stems that creep on the ground (eg. melon, watermelon) or are climbing (eg. cucumber), and their fruits, called “peponidi” have a fleshy pulp. In Italy they are available in the summer, when hot weather and mugginess reign supreme and sweating brings our body to dehydrate more easily.
According to Ayurveda, because of their sweetness and freshness these fruits are particularly suitable for the summer season; moreover they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately many of us find these fruits difficult to digest and often we renounce to hydrate ourselves naturally. It is essential to provide our body with the vitamins and minerals it so desperately needs. We can increase the digestibility of fruit by following some general precautions: never eat them cold, i.e. coming directly from the refrigerator; eat watermelon and melon without accompanying them with other foods such as bread, ham and / or mixing them with other fruit. Moreover Ayurveda recommends the use of spices that stimulate their digestion (to help agni = digestive fire).
The Fruit Virya® Masala is a blend of spices that we have created for this purpose. Try to slice and peel the melon, and remove the seeds, arrange the slices on a plate and sprinkle with powdered Fruit Masala Virya®. You will discover a delicacy and your stomach will have no problem to digest. For cucumber we suggest peeling and cutting it into thin slices, add a little salt for a few minutes until its water drains and then season with Trikatu Virya® and Appeto Virya®. You will not feel its weight on the stomach and feel more fresh and thirst-quenched. Peeled and diced cucumber can be cooked with other spicy vegetables, and although it will melt, at the same time it will make other vegetables more appetizing and refreshing!