The Daily Tea is promoting basil with watermelon and Assam-infused simple syrup, so I was interested in finding out more about watermelon.
Turns out that the refreshing flavor of watermelon comes from aldehydes like (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadienal and (Z)-3-hexenal.* The former has a typical watermelon odor, while the latter is the smell of cut grass. Both of these chemicals activate the cool receptor TRPM8, hence the coolness of watermelon flavor. (By the way, these chemicals are prominent in green tea, so it may be worth trying the recipe offered by The Daily Tea with a sencha-infused syrup.)
Watermelons produce these chemicals from fatty acids when you cut through them—another example of damage-induced flavor production. The problem with watermelon is that, as it hangs out on the plate, there is further metabolism, so the flavorful chemicals transform into less aromatic congeners.
Ever slice through a watermelon, wait a second or two, then feel its aroma wafting up to you? then later, looking for refreshment at the end of a picnic, you’ll pick up a slice of the same watermelon, only to find that it tastes kinda flat? Now you know why.
BTW, this is a great site for infographics and information about the chemistry of food.
The photo that should be here (but Blogger seems to have a problem) is from the great site http://morguefile.com
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