Smoked watermelon ‘ham’ creators wanted to try something a ‘little different’

The latest weird, viral food trend that has the internet buzzing might look exactly like a smoked ham, but don’t be fooled: It’s a watermelon that costs $75 and takes five days to make, served by the New York restaurant Ducks Eatery.

“It’s hot, which is super weird, we understand,” Will Horowitz, the co-owner of Ducks Eatery, said during an interview on Thursday with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “We just wanted to try something a little different.”

Ducks advertises itself as a restaurant with a wide-ranging, but meat-centric, menu. And in fact, the business has been smoking meats for “about a decade,” Horowitz said.

Horowitz, alongside co-owner Julie Horowitz, decided to try smoking vegetables and fruits -- partially in an effort to become more environmentally sustainable -- and see what happened. The duo started with a smoked cantaloupe burger, which has sold out every single night, Julie Horowitz said.

“We’re seeing incredible feedback on social media,” she said. “Our business has increased.”

The vegan-friendly smoked watermelon “ham” is cured for four days, and then smoked for an entire day -- which is part of the reason for the $75 price tag. But, Will Horowitz said the meal can be split between three to five people; all they ask is that an order is placed in advance since it takes so long to cook.

“It’s the real deal,” he said.