Would you buy strawberry 🍓 for $19 thinking 🤔 right, well brace yourself because somewhere in New Jersey, strawberries are being sold for $19 a box.
That’s right, nearly $3 per berry. And no, they’re not dipped in gold, nor do they come with a trust fund. They're called Omakase berries, and they might just be the most pampered fruit in America.
Behind this juicy story is Oishii, a startup with Japanese roots and Silicon Valley ambition.
Wrapped in a high-tech vertical farm, Oishii isn’t growing strawberries in traditional soil but in a meticulously controlled indoor environment. Think of it as a luxury hotel for fruit, temperature-perfect rooms, filtered water, pollination by hand-picked bees, and a level of attention you’d expect more for a rare bonsai tree than for breakfast fruit.
And the result? Berries that are softer, sweeter, and more aromatic than anything you’ll find at your local Walmart. In fact, Oishii claims the taste profile is more dessert than snack closer to a fine pastry than a farm product. For $19, you’re not just buying strawberries; you’re buying an experience.
This isn’t new. Fruit as a status symbol has a long, strange history. In 18th-century Britain, pineapples were so rare and expensive they were often rented by the hour for parties to show off wealth. In modern Japan, where gift-giving is practically a national art form, fruit is often elevated to luxury status. In 2016, a single bunch of Ruby Roman grapes another Japanese delicacy sold at auction for $11,000. That’s over $350 per grape. You don’t eat fruit like that. You admire it. You gift it. You maybe photograph it.
One reason might be the changing perception of food itself. In an age where consumers care more than ever about how their food is grown, where it comes from, and whether it’s organic, local, or sustainable, premium fruit isn’t just indulgence it’s a statement. It's about conscious consumption with a side of luxury.
Then there’s the Instagram factor. A perfectly ripe, glistening strawberry in a sleek box, It’s edible and aesthetic. For some, that’s worth every cent.
Of course, not everyone is buying it literally or figuratively. For many families, the idea of paying $19 for fruit while inflation bites into their grocery budget is absurd, even offensive. There’s a fine line between innovation and elitism. And in a country with rising food insecurity, that line can feel uncomfortably close.
Still, Oishii is betting there’s a growing market of foodies, health-conscious professionals, and curious early adopters who see value in “better” fruit just like they did with craft coffee, small-batch chocolate, or grass-fed beef.
So, would you pay $19 for a box of strawberries?