Yubari King Melon

Yubari King are expensive Japanese melons grown in Yubari on Hokkaido. They are highly prized for their renowned sweetness. The top grade of these melons are perfectly round with a perfectly smooth skin. Their flesh is orange on the inside, and it is regularly graded – there are 4 grades depending on the sweetness, and some melons can even be rejected if they are too sweet or not sweet enough.

It is recommended to consume them within 2 to 3 days of harvesting, which is done by hand with scissors. The melons are traditionally grown in volcanic ash soil in greenhouses, and the planting is done in February. Interestingly, in 2017, a pair of these melons was sold at an auction for $27,000.