Everyone knows fruit is good for you. But is it equally kind to your wallet? Sometimes it is not.
Recently, a pair of Yubari King Melons sold for $29,300 at an auction in Japan. Of course, these are ridiculous numbers. Here’s a taste of some other expensive fruits.
Densuke Watermelons - $6,000
Densuke Watermelons sell at auctions in Japan for exorbitant prices, typically anywhere from $2,000-5,000 per melon. Those prices are only paid for the first few lots of the annual crop yield. A 2014 crop, however, broke all records, selling for a cool $6,000 per fruit.
The extremely rare fruit is sweeter than regular watermelons, a little rounder and are a shade of pink, instead of the usual red on the inside. They are also known for their black and shiny skin and their crunchy texture.
Top End Mangoes, Australia - $50,000
One might think the world’s most expensive mango would come from India or some other tropical country. However, this record is held by Australia, where a tray of 12 mangoes were sold for a cool $50,000 in 2010. That made each mango worth about $4,000.
The mangoes were purchased by Carlo Lorenti, owner of Clayfield Markets Fresh, one of Australia’s largest green grocery firms at an auction in Brisbane. Australia has been holding mango auctions since 1998 in celebration of the summer harvest season.
Gigantella Maxim Strawberries - $4,395
There’s no Wimbledon without some traditional strawberries and cream. Taking the tryst of these berries and tennis forward, scientists in the UK engineered a giant breed of the fruit that can grow to the size of tennis balls. The new strawberry plant - Gigantella Maxim - produces strawberries that can fill the palm of a hand. At an auction in 2017, one of these giant strawberries was sold for $4,395. Obviously, some of these are shipped to Wimbledon for the elegant few who can afford to indulge in them.
Roman Grapes - $14,600
About the size of a ping pong ball, this variety of luscious red grapes grow in Japan. They were sold for $14,600 a bunch in 2016. With 30 grapes in the bunch, the cost of each fruit was approximately $480.
In 2008, the Ruby Roman grape debuted as a new variety of premium grapes in Japan and was so named via a public referendum. For a grape variety to be counted as a Ruby Roman, it must be over 20 gm and should have over 18 per cent of sugar.
About the size of a ping pong ball, this variety of luscious red grapes grow in Japan. They were sold for $14,600 a bunch in 2016. With 30 grapes in the bunch, the cost of each fruit was approximately $480.
In 2008, the Ruby Roman grape debuted as a new variety of premium grapes in Japan and was so named via a public referendum. For a grape variety to be counted as a Ruby Roman, it must be over 20 gm and should have over 18 per cent of sugar.
Pineapples, United Kingdom - $13,000
Rare, exotic and hard to grow, pineapples were a symbol of great status and wealth in Victorian times. This is true even today, if your pineapples come from Cornwall. Cultivated at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, each of these carefully tended pineapples are worth a fortune.
In 2012, each fruit was auctioned for $13,000. Traditional techniques are used to grow the fruit, complete with Victorian-style greenhouses and frequent changes of fresh horse manure. The resulting fruit is always “sweet, delicious and not stringy, with an explosive flavour”.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com