Mangoes are almost always an ordinary fruit that can be found in any supermarket. The fruit has always been a staple produce product but more recently has been gaining popularity in culture around the world. Just like any other food product, mangoes do come in different types that are considerably more rare than the typical products filling the store shelves. In Japan, a pair of rare mangoes recently sold for 300,000 Yen, which is $2,500 USD, and set the record sales price for the second year in a row.
The auction took place in the southern city of Miyazaki where lots of bidders showed up to take their chance at purchasing the luxury fruit. The mangoes are considered to be some of the best in the world called “egg of the sun”. This type of mango is very rare and pops up at markets every once in awhile, which is why people are willing to spend so much to obtain them. The egg of the sun mangoes are each 12 ounces and have a high sugar content which makes them rich in flavor.
Fruit is already expensive in Japan which is why it is rather normal in their culture to put so much money into owning two rare fruits. An apple costs around $3 in the Japanese market whereas they normally cost around $1.18 per pound in the United States. The Japanese people have also been heavily competing for a specific type of strawberry this year where a single berry will be purchased for around $415.
Although $2,500 seems ridiculous for just a pair of mangoes, this price comes nowhere near the customer that bought a pair of cantaloupe in 2008 for $25,000. People in Japan are willing to spend extreme amounts of money for these exotic fruits, it just seems to depend on what’s trending and the availability.
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