A grocer scored a “grape” win Thursday in a record-breaking bid for a bunch of the berries at a Japanese fruit auction. The Ruby Roman grapes are cultivated in the Ishikawa Prefecture, off the coast of the Sea of Japan. The grapes must have a sugar content of at least 18 per cent and weigh 20g in order to be considered of the Ruby Roman variety. Grocer Takamaru Konishi walked away with about 30 grapes sold for $14,000 CAD, roughly $460 per grape. According to the Guardian, seasonal fruit auctions are popular in Japan, where fruit is considered a status symbol similar to vintage wine in the West.

Source: thestar July 08, 2016 23:03 UTC