This watermelon katsu looks just like seared tuna steak

Poppy Shen
·Video Producer

We tried this viral TikTok recipe but does it actually taste like tuna?

Video Transcript

POPPY SHEN: This seared tuna steak is actually watermelon. Today, we're making this TikTok viral watermelon katsu. It looks and maybe tastes just like a seared tuna steak. It's vegan. It's healthy. Let's do it.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

First, cut a big chunk of watermelon, salt it, and dry. Make a marinade with soy sauce, mirin, and molasses. Marinate the watermelon.

Pan fry the watermelon over medium heat. On a plate, mix flour with water. Coat the watermelon in flour. Then cover it with panko.

We then put the watermelon in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

This is by far the craziest vegan recipe that I've ever tried. This does look like seared tuna. Let's see how it tastes.

The soy sauce--

[COUGHING]

It does not taste like seared tuna at all. It's actually kind of weird. I just don't know why you would turn watermelon into meat like fried katsu. It's just-- it's not really working.

I mean, if you didn't tell me it was watermelon, maybe I'll like it. But in no way this is watermelon. It feels like I'm eating watermelon coated in savory, barbecue, smoky panko. And it just doesn't feel right.

I probably would never make this again. But if you're into like a sweet and savory, fruity, barbecue combination, maybe you should give it a try. But I'm not a fan at all.

[COUGHING]