Canary Melon

I was shopping at the farmers’ market last week when one of the farmers offered me a taste of a canary melon. Its light yellow, almost watery-looking flesh didn’t look like much, but after one bite, I realized that I would never again be able to buy cantaloupe. Where supermarket cantaloupe and honeydew can be dry and flavorless, the canary melon’s juices were bright and sweet and dribbled down my chin. Although Sam wasn’t in the mood to do a mystery food challenge the day we tried it, the very next day, he ate the entire melon on his own. That’s love for you.

ME: This is called what?

LAUREN: Canary melon.

ME: What does it look like?

LAUREN: It looks a bit like a pineapple.

ME: It does look a bit like a pineapple.

LAUREN: But it’s really not.

ME: Why not?

LAUREN: It doesn’t have seeds. And it doesn’t have stripes.

ME: Sam, what do you think it looks like?

LAUREN: An orange?

SAM: An orange.

ME: Lauren that wasn’t helpful.

ME: An orange will be your treat when we’re done.

ME: So who wants to smell it? Sam?

ME: Lauren’s raising her hand.

LAUREN: It smells like honeydew.

ME: I think it smells delicious. Now you get to try it. What do you think?

LAUREN: It tastes like very very very sweet sweet honeydew.

ME: Yes it does. Do you like it?

LAUREN: A little.

ME: Sam, smell it?

SAM: It smells like oatmeal.

ME: OK, taste it.

SAM: It tastes like oatmeal.

ME: Tell me what it really tastes like.

SAM: Watermelon!

ME: It’s really sweet, right?

ME: Do you want more?

LAUREN: Maybe.

ME: Emma, want to try it?

EMMA: No.