Yubari is a small town close to Sapporo, Hokkaido. It used to be a coal mining town but that's not what makes this town special. Yubari is famous for its orange-fleshed melon called Yubari melon, a melon priced from 6,000 to 15,000 Yen or could reach 20,000 for the good ones.
Yubari melon's price record at auction was established in 2008 at 2.5 million Yen for one set of two melons. This year's first auction of Yubari melons was held last Monday at the Sapporo City Central Wholesale Market, with two melons selling for 1.5 million Yen, triple last year's highest price.
(Source: Mainichi News)
(A pair of Yubari melons, picture courtesy of : msnbc)
On my visit to Hokkaido last year this luxury fruit wasn't in season but even if it were, I am not sure if I could afford to try this most expensive melon in the world.
6 comments:
i remember watching a short documentary on NHK on why these "special" melons are SO expensive.
if i can recall, these melons are grown above ground level in special boxes. the melon tree itself will produce about 3 melons but the farmer will cut the other 2 melons off so that the 1 melon can absorb all the nutrients it needs to become "special" and extra sweet or something. apparently they do something to get the perfect spherical shape as well.
zz i would never buy melons for those ridiculous prices haha. but fruit in Japan is quite expensive in general. but these melons are generally used as gifts anyway.
i'll stick to the normal melons :)
warna dalemnya apa? kuning apa putih?
So what is it about these melons that make them so expensive? And why would a pair be worth more?
Grub, thanks for your info and helping me answer Brad's question :)
I did try this melon, but in Kit Kat product ha..ha.. I bought a Kit Kat with Yubari melon flavor.
Fun, isinya orange Fun dan manis sekali.. katanya sih soalnya daku juga belum pernah cobain :
Brad, Grub has answered your question :) Normally people buy them for a gift, an expensive gift for important people.
Cool blog! thanks for sharing!
Thanks cheap bus hire :)
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