Yes, it's a melon-seed splitter. In China, roasted melon seeds are a popular snack, and are enjoyed much the way many people enjoy sunflower seeds here. You split 'em with your front teeth. Some people eat so many seeds that they wear a little groove in a front tooth.
But I guess if you didn't have teeth or wanted to save your teeth, you could use this. It comes with handy instructions.
But can you imagine how slow and tedious it would be? Takes all the pleasure out of snacking.(Click on the "silly gadgets" tag below to see other examples.)
I'm sure that the written instructions add something but I love that the first two and second two illustrations essentially look exactly the same! And in none of them are you actually splitting the seed, apparently.
ReplyDeleteThose inscrutable instruction illustrators!
In the second illustration you can see that you squeeze the two sides in. But it's not really obvious.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand the difference between second two, though. Maybe it's: remove shell, remove seed.
Oh yes, this is real handy in Asia. My cousins had some because their teeth were showing the sighs of eating too much seeds.
ReplyDeleteI still consider it a silly kitchen gadget!