If at first you don't succeed..

Previously, when out at a museum and contemplating the typical "museum cafe" food available, I had picked out a cup of melon pieces and grapes, intending to cut the melon pieces small enough to share with the cub.

He outright rejected watermelon and refused to swallow any of the pieces of cantaloupe I gave him.

This put "melons" in the category of things the cub will not immediately demand to eat when he sees mommy and/or daddy eating it. This is a very short list. So far, it's butternut squash, cauliflower, watermelon and cantaloupe. (Keep in mind, this is the same boy who loves green beans.)

So, the store had these things called sprite melons, which are apparently natively from Japan, but grown in the US in North Carolina. I picked one up, in the theory that it was small enough that I could eat the whole thing by myself in a couple of days, if necessary.

I gave the cub a bite. He seemed alright with it. I added some salt and pepper to my slice, which took it from "huh, not a bad melon," to "mmmmmmmm, that's the stuff". When I gave some of the seasoned melon to the cub, he immediately began to bounce and wave his arms and do all the sorts of things he does when he's enthusiastic about a food. I gave him several bites, which were not only chewed but swallowed.

So, sprite melons with salt and pepper are a "yes" food. Maybe if I do the same to cantaloupe...