Two melons were sold at an auction in the northern Japanese city of Yubari last month for a record-breaking $45,600 to a first-time bidder, according to reports.
The public auction, which took place at a wholesale market between May 25 and 29, was the first for the country’s agricultural season. The bidder was an employee from a Japanese beverage company which sells a Yubari melon-flavored soda, according to the Japanese Times.
The highly-prized cantaloupes were among 1,000 pieces of Yubari-brand melons, the Asahi Shimbun reported. The melons, characterized by a sweet orange pulp, are sought after because of their lengthy ripening period, according to the report.
Auctions take place in the country at the beginning of the summer season. Agricultural products are usually sold for astronomically high prices and valued more like a trophy rather than actual food.
The $45,600 selling price marks an all-time high for the Yubari melons. Last year, the winning bid for the two melons was about $29,500.