Smoky-Sweet Delight: Grilled Watermelon Infused With Chamomile-Cocoa Salt

Nicole A. Taylor was inspired by a sweet memory of enjoying a perfect watermelon in Austin, Texas, which led her to create this recipe for Grilled Watermelon with Chamomile-Cocoa Salt. The dish combines the smoky flavors from grilling with a crunchy spice blend of benne seeds, chamomile, fennel, and cocoa. Both benne seeds and sesame seeds work well in this recipe, adding a slightly bitter and robust flavor to complement the watermelon.

Recipe Details

This quick-grilling snack involves preparing watermelon wedges that soak up the grill’s smoky essence. The spice blend, made by grinding benne seeds, chamomile blossoms (with stems removed), fennel seeds, and cocoa, is key. After brushing the wedges with grapeseed oil and grilling them until grill marks appear, they’re flipped and sprinkled with the chamomile mixture. Finally, a touch of flaky sea salt adds a finishing touch, enhancing the watermelon’s natural sweetness with a hint of savory depth.

Tips and Make-Ahead

You can prepare the chamomile mixture ahead of time, storing it in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. This makes it easy to enjoy this unique grilled watermelon dish whenever you’re ready to grill and serve.