The Melons

I vividly remember my first visit to Japan. It was November 1996 and as things worked out I was in Tokyo over Thanksgiving. I called my family to wish them happy Thanksgiving and then told my father in detail about melons that looked like cantaloupes (he was a big cantaloupe fan) that sold for over $200 each.

He had a hard time believing it and so did I.

The odd thing was that when I asked people about the melon a return question often followed "did it have a stem?." Apparently, the stem is very important for reasons I still don't understand, either aesthetics or something to do with virility I guess. In any event, if you ever have a craving to for a $200 melon (or more...see below) take a flight to Japan and go to the food section of the closest Mitsukoshi Department Store. I'm sure it tastes good.

From MSNBC...

The first two Yubari melons of the season were auctioned Friday in northern Japan and fetched $5,200. Pricey? Certainly. But it's practically a steal if you consider last year's winning bid — a record 2.5 million yen, or about $26,000. In 2007 they sold for about $20,000.

It appears the world's swankiest melon is in a major deflationary slump.

Weighing about eight pounds, the premium cantaloupes were part of the season's initial harvest at Sapporo Central Wholesale Market. Every year buyers flock to the market for a shot at the prestige of winning the very first melons of the year.

The orange-fleshed melons are grown only in the city of Yubari, a small town on the northern island of Hokkaido. Valued for their perfect proportions and taste, they are typically given as gifts by Japanese during the summer.

To read more about the Yubari melons, click here.