Smoked watermelon ‘ham’ creators wanted to try something a ‘little different’
Ducks Eatery owners Will Horowitz and Julie Horowitz on the restaurant's smoked watermelon as well as its smoked cantaloupe burger.
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.