I tend to be rather bland boring predictable in my grocery shopping. Personally, I tend to get in eating ruts — I eat the same thing for breakfast every day, the same thing for lunch most days, the same veggies, the same fruits…etc. So my grocery list looks eerily similar from one week to the next. But every once in a while something shakes things up a bit.
Last week, that “something” was my son C., age 8. As we strolled through the produce section, picking up our predictable tomatoes, cucumbers, and blueberries, he spied something rather…odd. And he asked if we could buy it and try it. In a fit of grocery spontaneity, I said, “yes.” Thus began our culinary adventure.
The item in question was a Horned Melon, also known as a Kiwano. And it is indeed “horned” as you’ll see below. In fact, its appearance was enough to stop my husband in his tracks during one of his evening refrigerator raids. “What is that thing?”
“A horned melon,” I calmly replied, as if anyone would know that.
Last night, I decided that it was time to give the Kiwano a try. I did some Internet research to make sure we ate the parts we were supposed to eat, and to get some hints on how to cut it open, and then we got to work.
First, I thought I’d see what L. thought about it.
At first, as you can see, he was thrilled and excited to have such an exotic-looking item placed on his high chair tray. He tried out different ways of touching it.
But alas, he soon discovered that those horns are very pointy, and not comfortable to touch at all.
Thus: he signed “all done” and would have nothing further to do with the horned melon.
Next it was C.’s turn. We put it on the cutting board…
…and C. got to work.
He was fascinated to discover that inside this pointy yellow-orange fruit, there was green gunk.
Green gunk filled with seeds.
The Kiwano is, in fact, related to the cucumber, and the seeds look just like cucumber seeds, but they are harder/tougher. Some websites advised us to suck the gelatinous green gunk off the seeds and toss the seeds in the garbage. Others didn’t seem to think the seeds were a problem. I decided that C. should be the first guinea pig have the honor of tasting the Kiwano first.
He took a spoon of green juice/seed sac-thingys…
… and pronounced them good. For his first bite, he did the whole seed-discarding thing. But for his second, he just swallowed the seeds, with no ill effect.
Since C. hadn’t collapsed, I decided I’d try some, too. The taste? I’d say it has a faint cucumber taste with a hint of banana. Not a strong taste, but certainly not offensive.
Would we buy it again? Probably not. The taste isn’t enough to make us say, “Oh, yum! Let’s have some more!” And because it’s an exotic-type fruit, they run a good $3 or so each. But we have expanded our produce world just a bit, and that was definitely worth the $3 this time around.
I commend you for your bravery. And I have heard that most people eat the same 10 – 15 things all the time. I know I am completely guilty of that. Good for you.
Wonderful photos. I love your babe’s reaction to the spikey texture!
Very cool. I’m the same way, eating the same things all the time. I’m a creature of habit what can I say
Glad I’m not the only one.
Have a great weekend!
Good for you for trying something new! I’m not sure I would have been as brave – I tend to stick in a rut as well. But now…well…I may have to try one. Hmmmm.
God bless
My husband is the one who likes to try different exotic fruits. He one time brought home a rambutan fruit which is also spiny and tasted kind of banana-ish.
How fun! Glad it turned out to be something good. Maybe I’ll surprise everyone and buy one myself.
lol, how fun!!! I’m always trying out new veggies and fruits. I’ve yet to try the horned melon, but I’ll have to pick it up next time I’m at the market.
I love all the pics! The boys are growing up!
Hugs,
Eden
That fruit is SO exotic looking! And the photo of C. giving the thumbs up was TOO cute – as was L. suddenly realizing that the fruit was PICKY!
Those are absolutely the best looking kids I have ever seen! And their mother, well, all I can say is “WOW”!
What a fun eating adventure! I love the pictures with the story.
Great photos!! I never realized C. was so brave at trying new things!
It seems you are all feeling better….do you think the Kiwano has any medicinal purpose?
What a fund adventure! And I learned something new, Thanks!!
What a fun post! So good of you to encourage his curiousity!! and you have pictures to prove it, so next time you confront him with something “yucky” perhaps he’ll remember this experience! Way to go!
I have been quite curious of those things… I might have to beg… er, ask my wife to give that a whack. Gracie is adventurous with food, like me, but Cale… more like his mother.
Great photo jounaling
it put a big smile on my face
your doing a great job Katrina
Love to all…. MOM / Grammy B
What a fun thing to do, love the pics!
Just started a give away contest at my blog yesterday..All ya have to do comment and these are the best prizes I have had so far!(not to plug my blog at all, haha!)
What a fun post! I loved the story told through these pictures!
You’ve inspired me to introduce my girls to some strange new foods soon!
I’ve seen those at the store and never would have guessed what it looked like on the inside. And I can’t believe your son tasted it! That’s so great! One look at the green insides and my niece and nephew (11 and 13 respectively) would never have even tried it.
How fun! L. looks so much like baby C. in that last picture!
So what do you eat everyday for breakfast and lunch?
Way cool. This is right in line with one of the challenges from the Escape Plan that my wife Kim and I created, designed to get us thinking and acting in a more childlike way. Challenge #15 is Taste Bud Conspiracy: Eat something you’ve never had before. Kids have a way of getting us to break out of our usual ruts — we call them “sherpas” in that way. Good for you for being spontaneous and trying something new! Kim and I just tried fried cactus for the first time the other day…definitely much tastier than I thought it would be.
P.S. I love the look of giddy delight on C.’s face as he discovers the green gunk!