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What it’s like to eat a super expensive Japanese strawberry【Taste Test】

Oona McGee Jan 29, 2020
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Luxury Japanese fruit meets the mouth of Mr Sato.

Ever since we tried Japan’s most expensive variety of grape last summer, our taste buds have been yearning for another hit of sweet opulence.

Thankfully, the opportunity for another luxurious fruit tasting arose once again, and this time it was our Japanese-language reporter Mr Sato who won the janken competition in the office, meaning he was the lucky one who got to taste-test one of the country’s most expensive strawberries.

▼ Sold at posh department store Isetan, these strawberries retail for 1,080 yen (US$9.88) each.

Grown in Miyagi Prefecture, these strawberries are called Migaki Ichigo Platinum. “Migaki” translates to “polished“, while “ichigo” means “strawberry“, creating an apt name for the fruit, which comes packaged like a polished jewel.

On the back of the case is the word “tochiotome“, a highly esteemed type of strawberry prized for its beautiful shape and colour, and sought after for its sweet, large, tender flesh.

Mr Sato had tried cheaper, supermarket-bought tochiotome strawberries before, but none of them had ever looked as shiny and enticing as this gem. According to the information he was given, Migaki Ichigo are produced by skilled strawberry farmers using cutting-edge “IT farming technology”, which makes it possible to produce consistently high-quality strawberries.

Lifting it out of its box, Mr Sato hesitated to eat such a grand specimen, but its perfect deep red hue and robust shape had him salivating.

▼ He parted his lips and plunged the strawberry into his mouth.

As soon as he bit into the flesh, the juice from the fruit spilled out onto his tongue, sending out a bold sweetness and subtle acidity to his taste receptors. While the flavour was sublime, the texture was particularly exquisite – it was neither too hard nor too soft, helping to deliver the flavour of the juice in perfect measures.

It was at least two ranks above any other strawberry he’d ever tried in terms of flavour, appearance and delicate sweetness.

After tasting the expensive fruit, Mr Sato came to realise that not all strawberries are made the same. And while the high price tag might seem exorbitant at first, it was entirely worth it for the decadent experience.

The Migaki Ichigo is in season now, so if you’d like to treat yourself to a taste of luxury, keep an eye out for the jewel-like fruit at department stores or online at shopping sites like Yahoo, Amazon and Rakuten.

If you prefer to spend your hard-earned money on something a little more substantial, though, you might want to consider adding the $29 Japanese persimmon to your bucket list of expensive fruit experiences.

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[ Read in Japanese ]