The World's Best Melons (Found In Yubari)
By k@ri
How do you explain 2 melons selling for $5,200? It seems inconceivable that melons would sell for so much in today's market. But these melons would be considered a steal compared to last year. Last year 2 of these melons sold for $23,900. No, they are not solid gold, they are Yubari melons grown in Japan.
Yubari melons are renowned for their sweetness and perfect proportions. Where else but in Japan would proportion be so revered? The Japanese believe in the beauty of simplicity. The Japanese word Wabi, meaning quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste, expounds on simplicity. The simplicity of these melons combined with their unusual sweetness make them a perfect gift in Japan.
The Yubari melon looks similar to a regular cantaloupe. The reddish-orange flesh is renowned for it's sweetness and is considered the perfect gift during summer gift giving in Japan. If you are looking for a gift for your boss or a colleague, this melon will tell of your respect for the other person.
It is said that the high volcanic ash content in the soil at Yubari makes it perfect for growing the sweetest, juiciest melons in the world. The melons are hand picked and put through a strict grading. There are four grades available, price is higher for the higher grade. Yubari melon farmers cannot sell their melons to people directly. All of the melons go to the Japanese Agriculture Association for grading.
The town of Yubari began as a coal mining town and was very successful until the coal mines closed in the 1980's. This town of over 100,000 people went bankrupt in 2006. This city now claims only 13,000 residents and is over 5 million dollars in debt. The melons were the sole hope, and with the fall in price this year who knows what will happen.
Nestle attempted to help in 2007 by marketing a Yubari melon KitKat bar. 10 yen of the proceeds for every bar was donated to the city of Yubari. The reviews I have read about this KitKat bar are very good. They say the melon flavor is sweet, but not overpowering. However, they were a limited edition bar, produced only in Japan and I have not been able to locate a place to buy them.
The highest price for the Yubari melons are paid for the first harvest. After that the melons will go on sale in high end stores for $100 to $500 each. These melons are not for the average joe. Who do you know that will pay $100 for a fruit that will rot if not eaten in a timely manner? The same people who pay for Rolex, Gucci and Jimmy Cho. A brand name is a brand name, and some will pay whatever it takes for the referred prestige.
Comments
Men are so stupid, some women too. Someone said to tell you that your request was recieved. He is well and sends his love back all the way to DC
$5,200 for melons! I'll stick with my Timex!
I never heard of the Yubari melon. Thanks for teaching me something new. I don't suppose I will ever have one, but I feel smarter knowing they exist:)
ReuVera, From what I read, marketing is the reason they are so expensive. But I can't imagine any fruit being worth that much!
sea ghost, Thanks for delivering my message and letting me know he's OK!
Tom, I will second that!
R Burow, Now we can have a new saying when we find expensive junk...we could say, "that like buying a Yubari". LOL
OHMYGOD, never heard of that. I live in a countru«y of nice melons, cantalopes, whatermelons, and they are rather cheap, very cheap indeed, in Algarve they grow tons of them.
No one would buy that here!
And they are so delicious, we have a skin frog tipe melon, its spicy and sweet, oh my, can't wait to eat them....
Oh, I've never known that before! I'd rather by a Pepsi instead :)
Ellandriel, I could not imagine a melon being worth so much, but there it is...they sold just the other day. I have never heard of the skin frog melon, it sounds delicious!
shamelabboush, I would have to agree, give me a pepsi! :D
Wow! I gotta learn to grow melons.
jim, You'll have to move to Japan to grow these. Or maybe you could just import some volcano ash to mix with your soil. LOL
I probably won't move but, maybe if I can find enough ash trays I could sell my melons for half the price.
LOL! Yes I guess that could be an option. :D
The Yubari melon is used in the production of Midori :D
Ashley, OOOOhhhhh....now I understand a bit more! Thanks for the info! :D
I used to live there & i could eat that stuff right out of the farm because my buddy was a farmer....After eating greatest..When I came to U.S. & i tried all kinds of cantaloupes & honeydews.... Honeydew is like a cucumber compared to this shit...Really...the nutrition facts on Yubari is redicurously higher than any cantelope type fruits exists on this entire planet...really & so many country stole the patented genetics & seeds from japan but could not duplicated...LOL even they could but taste are sooo different.
Is this the melon that is suppose to have anti-aging properties?
ReuVera 3 years ago
Reading this I smelt melon.... I love melons and I didn't know about Ybari "golden" melons, but I know melons from Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and Chimkent (Kazakhstan). With proper marketing those melons will probably cost as much as Ybari's. LOL