Wash the winter melon carefully and then remove the skin with the help of a sharp knife.

Chop it into small cubes and place them in a large heat resistant pot. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of it, cover with cling film and leave it to macerate for about 1 hour.

After this time, you will see a small amount of watermelon water at the bottom of the pot, which is what you were aiming for!

Now, place the whole pot on the hobs and bring it gently to a boil.

Add the rock sugar, water melon seeds and skin (optional) and leave to simmer for about 1.5 – 2 hours, paying attention not to make the liquid to evaporate.

If you are using tapioca ball, also bring to the boil a second container of water and bring that to the boil.

Add the tapioca balls and let them cook until soft, then take off the heat and set aside.

Once the winter melon is ready, remove from the heat and use a strainer to collect the juice in a pretty bottle: with the aid of a fork or masher, mask the wintermelon cubes so that you get as much juice off them as possible. Discard the rest.

When ready to serve, add milk or creamer, ice and tapioca balls (if using) and fresh leaves as a decoration.