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Behold 'watermelon pizza,' TikTok's latest and weirdest food trend

Suddenly pineapple doesn't feel so controversial.

watermelon pizza, watermelon pizza TikTok
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Would you try it?

Just when you think that all flavors of pizza have been created, guess again. A new version has rolled out and it’s taking the internet by storm.

Its name? Watermelon pizza. You read that right. Watermelon + pizza. It’s a thing.

watermelon pizza TikTokWatermelon Sugar GIF by Harry StylesGiphy

You might be picturing watermelon as the topping in this unique dish—much like its fruity predecessor, the pineapple. But no. As the creator of watermelon pizza, Oliver Paterson, reveals in his now viral TikTok, the juicy fruit actually serves as the crust.

There are a few key details that make this recipe work, as Paterson, known on TikTok as @elburritomonster, explained to Fox News.


First, the watermelon has to be grilled on both sides for five minutes prior to toppings, to “remove as much moisture as possible to avoid a soggy mess,” according to Paterson.


It’s also “vital” to substitute the standard tomato-based sauce with barbecue sauce, as “BBQ is already a tried and tested flavor combination with watermelon.” (I for one did not know this to be true, but sweet and tangy is a pretty unbeatable combo.)

@elburritomonster

I can’t actually recommend this enough

♬ Watermelon Sugar - Paul Moonlight

Lastly, Paterson swaps out chorizo for the usual pepperoni. Then, voila. You have a dish that “tastes sweet and smoky, with fatty salty richness,” he told Fox News.

However, get just one of these three things wrong and the results are less than fruitful. This was the case for Domino’s Pizza in Australia when it tried and hilariously failed to recreate Paterson’s recipe in its own TikTok video.

@dominosau

Y’all keep asking us for a low carb option 😏🍕Nah fr when we saw @elburritomonster make a watermelon pizza, we HAD to give it a go.

♬ original sound - Domino’s Australia

Unsurprisingly, watermelon pizza has sparked a heated culinary debate online. Comments were across the board on this one, ranging between “I’m calling 911” to “I mean… add melted cheese to anything and it would be delicious.”

No one seems to agree on the legitimacy of this new flavor combination. Still, watermelon has undoubtedly done the impossible—using it for pizza has put an end to the war on pineapple.

“Suddenly pineapple on pizza isn’t so bad,” one person admitted in the comments.

Another conceded, “Pineapple on pizza is normal compared to this.”

There you have it, folks. Watermelon isn’t just for outdoor picnics and a Harry Styles song. Not anymore.

Paterson seems to know a thing or two about creating quirky snack options. His TikTok is an online buffet of unique food creations—in particular, epic burritos.

You name it, and the guy has somehow turned it into a burrito. I’m not kidding.

Like this Scotch egg burrito:

@elburritomonster

Would you eat a Chorizo Scotch Egg and Chicken Burrito? 😅

♬ Gone up in Flames - Morning Runner

Why choose between a Scotch egg and a burrito, when you can have both?

Or this made-with-leftovers burrito:

@elburritomonster

Best use of leftover KFC 😋

♬ Paper Planes - M.I.A.

Un-clucking-believable.

And here's beef Wellington in burrito form:

@elburritomonster

Have a look at the recipe if you’re in the mood for a ✨ fancy✨ Beef Welly Burrito 😁

♬ original sound - Elburritomonster

The cooking instructions are sung to Billie Eilish, no less.

As for his watermelon pizza, it might become a passing internet trend, as so many things on TikTok are. Or, it might surpass the Hawaiian, who knows? The only thing to know for sure is that life is about all kinds of experimentation.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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