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We didn’t get enough of Erewhon‘s Japanese strawberries at $19 a piece. In the world of luxury fruit, another variety is dazzling and keeping Americans on their toes. Fresh Del Monte‘s RubyGlow pineapple, which costs $395.99, even has a waiting list. This designer fruit sold out last year, and now it has just returned to the US.
But why is this rare Costa Rican-produced pineapple worth so much? According to Fresh Del Monte Produce President and CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, the high price is indicative of the amount of time they take to grow, along with their limited supply.
The pineapple is a hybrid fruit produced by combining a classic pineapple variety with the rare Morada pineapple, giving it a ruby-coloured exterior and a vibrant yellow interior. As the cultivation is very meticulous, the amount of fruit produced by the company is very limited.
Before its initial launch, the RubyGlow pineapple was in development for 15 years to ensure that it ‘exceeded our expectations in terms of quality, taste and aesthetics,’ explains Abu-Ghazaleh. The pineapples take two years to grow and have a very limited seed stock. However, each year the seed supply grows from the previous season’s harvest, so over time the price is likely to go down. At least that is the hope.
