In Japan, the season’s first fruits are prized possessions, bought by the rich as status symbols. Last week, a grocery store owner bid 1.1 million yen at an auction—nearly $11,000—for a cluster of 30 grapes that took 14 years to grow, The Guardian reports.
These aren’t any grapes. The Ruby Romans purchased by Takamaru Konishi are a super-sized variety–each grape is the size of a ping pong ball, weighs at least 20 grams, and has a sugar content of at least 18 percent.
“I was getting cold sweats,” Konishi told The Guardian. “I am so happy and honored.” He said he planned to share some of the grapes with a few lucky customers at his store.
Rare varieties of melon can fetch steep bids, too. In 2008 one man paid more than $6,000—about $350 per pound—for a black Desuke watermelon, grown only on Japan’s northernmost island.