Pair of premium Japanese mangoes fetches US$3,725 at auction - and yes they are probably delicious
The high-end mangoes are called ‘Taiyo no Tamago’ (Egg of the Sun)
A pair of premium mangoes from the southwestern Japan prefecture of Miyazaki fetched a record-matching 400,000 yen (US$3,725) at the season’s first auction at a local wholesale market on Monday, maintaining the price tag from the previous year.
The high-end mangoes are called “Taiyo no Tamago” (Egg of the Sun) as they have cleared the brand’s qualifications of weighing at least 350 grammes, possessing a high level of sugar and having a bright red colour covering more than half of its skin, according to the Miyazaki Agricultural Economic Federation.
The pricey pair, cased in a container and weighing about 1 kilogram in total, will be sold at a department store in Fukuoka, the biggest city in the Kyushu region.
As the mango brand celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Miyazaki Deputy Governor Yukitoshi Gunji pledged the prefecture’s continued efforts to promote it globally.
“It has grown into a major brand of Miyazaki and was even provided as a cooking ingredient to the Ise-Shima summit (of the Group of Seven industrialised nations) two years ago,” Gunji said.
“We would like to continue promoting its appeal to the world.”
The federation expects shipping from growers to peak between mid-May and June this season.
