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Epicurious

Spicy Watermelon Onigiri

Vegan tuna onigiri on a green checkered tablecloth.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca

This playful take on a spicy tuna onigiri recipe swaps watermelon (yes, watermelon!) for the fish, resulting in a vegan bite that tastes (surprisingly) like the real deal. Chef Lauren Von Der Pool, whose great-grandfather immigrated from China to Guyana, found inspiration in her Asian roots to create a version of this recipe for the 2022 Met Gala “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” Here, we’ve molded the onigiri into the classic triangle shape, but you can leave them as balls if you prefer.

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