You’ve heard of fine wine selling for thousands of dollars, but how
about grapes? This month, a bunch of Ruby Romans, a grape grown in the
Ishikawa prefecture of Japan, fetched a record-breaking sum of one million yen at auction. That’s about 8,200 U.S. dollars.
In
total, the bunch contained twenty six grapes, making each one worth
roughly three hundred and fifteen dollars. Why would anyone fork over
the equivalent of 2,700 pounds of average-priced grapes for a single
bunch?
According to the man who placed the winning bid, Chef Masayuki Hirai,
it’s part flavor, but mostly hype. The grapes have been specially bred
to be sweeter and to have lower acidity levels than average reds grapes.
They’re also on the hefty side; most grow to the size of a golf ball.
So,
what does one do with a $8,200 bunch of grapes? Chef Masayuki says his
boss put him under strict orders to get to the ruby romans first. They
wanted to capitalize on the opening of a new train-line that’s bringing
hungry (and wealthy) tourists to the area. “With the opening of the Hokuriku shinkansen (bullet train) line, I was told to win the bidding at any cost.” Masayuki said.
Japan
has a taste for outrageously expensive fruit. The rare Ruby Romans are
sold as dessert in some of Japan’s finest dining establishments. Other
high-end fruits sold at auction include a $6,200 melon. If you’re a fan of sushi, maybe the $37,500 bluefin tuna is more up your alley.
See more related post:
