Hong Kong may have the world’s most expensive strawberry, costing 168 Hong Kong dollars.
Reported by Time, a single strawberry from the Kotoka Strawberry Gift Box costs 168 HKD, which is roughly $21.60. The gift box can be found at CitySuper, described as an “haunt bourgeois Hong Kong supermarket chain” by Time. The supermarket’ advertises itself as a “mega lifestyle speciality store”.
The extremely expensive strawberry comes in an off-white cardboard box filled with synthetic straw. The fruit itself is “Fresh by Air From Japan” according to a sticker on the box.
The Kotoka strawberry is grown in Nara, a Japanese city near Osaka. The rare fruit has “a good acidity and rich sweetness” according to Nara.
A picture of the Kotoka Strawberry Gift Box was shared in a Facebook group called Hong Kong Moms, sparking a number of concerned comments. “And what is the difference between this wasteful splurge or spending $30,000 on a designer handbag?!? Same self indulgence…”Miriam Kamhin wrote.
“Absolutely criminal! By everyone involved, the producer, the retailer, the customer! All should be fined and jailed…really disgusted!!!” said Facebook user Sarah Maria Vandré.
Whatsmore, CitySuper’s high prices aren’t limited to just strawberries. Hong Kong Free Press reported that the supermarket also stocked a HK$1,488 watermelon, a HK$78 peach and an HK$888 bundle of grapes.
A petition was launched last month for Hong Kong supermarkets to “stop the excessive and unnecessary use of plastic wrap and plastic containers for their produce.” Over 7,500 people have signed it thus far.
