The red fruit will become a decoration and a sign of prosperity during the holidays
A money-conscious American can treat himself to a jar of top quality caviar, a bottle of good wine or dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant for $400. But now you can buy one pineapple for that price in California. Despite inflation and unemployment, interest in “luxury” fruits is increasing.
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The pineapple, called Rubyglow, is notable because of its distinctive red color and sweetness. It costs $395.99 at a California store that sells specialty fruits and vegetables. It took Del Monte, a wholesale company that sells a variety of products but specializes in pineapples, a decade and a half to develop the red fruit. At the beginning of 2024, a limited harvest appeared in China for the first time. Recently the company decided to see how this product would be sold in the United States of America, and the store began selling.
“Consumers are willing to pay for something special,— notes fresh produce strategist from Rabobank's global research group Cindy van Rijswyk. — When it comes to specialty foods, there's always a small market for upscale restaurants, gourmets or marketplaces.
In recent years, Americans have shown particular interest in new varieties of fruit, driving up prices for honey apples, dekopon and Japanese strawberries.
As University of Minnesota horticulture professor Jim Looby recalls, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and, in some areas, McIntosh apples were standard staples. Although more expensive, these apples were a big hit. People wanted more, and Honeycrisp varieties fit the bill — sweet, crunchy and unusual.
“The Honeycrisp variety has become popular among our farmers in Minnesota, — explains Luby, who was part of the team that developed this variety. — There wasn't much harvest there. Therefore, the price for it was high. And yet it continued to sell.»
Researchers have to engage in selection and crossbreeding, wait out the growing cycle and start all over again if the fruit does not meet the requirements. Finding something that tastes good and is budget-friendly enough to be commercially successful takes time and hard work. Plant scientists then have to convince growers to invest in the untested fruit, allocating resources that could be used to grow old favorites. But the Honeycrisp apple variety has shown that the risk may be worth it.
Availability of higher-priced fruits such as berries, mangoes and avocados has increased over the past decade or so, according to Rabobank, which relied on USDA statistics. per capita, which is a good indicator of consumption. During this time, the availability of cheaper fruits such as apples and bananas has remained virtually unchanged.
Some signature fruits have even become iconic: the Cotton Candy grape, so named because of its sweetness, appeared on the market in 2011 and quickly gained popularity. The citrus variety dokopon, a hybrid of oranges, pomelo and tangerines, has become popular in recent years.
But these products are cheaper compared to Oishii's signature strawberries, which are grown indoors in a climate-controlled vertical farm. When Oishii berries first became available to the public in 2018, they charged $50 for a package of eight berries.
«Even at that price, we consistently had thousands of people on the waiting list,&rdash; notes the company's CEO Hiroki Koga.
Today, you can purchase such strawberries in regular grocery stores at a price of 10 to 14 dollars per package.
Del Monte researchers have been developing different pineapple varieties for years, developing signature fruits and often optimizing their flavor profile. In 2020, the company launched the pink-fleshed Pinkglow pineapple.
The pineapple variety was never intended to be included in the sales list, but rather as an exclusive gift, according to the company's vice president of marketing, Melissa McKay.
At first, pink pineapple sold for about $50. Today you can buy it much cheaper, online for about $8 to $29.
Melissa's Produce describes the new Rubyglow pineapple as «a rare gem and the pinnacle of fruit luxury,» adding that “This is an unforgettable gift for a gourmet.”
“The pineapple was simply delicious, — Bo Corley said. — When you eat too much pineapple, it leaves a bitter aftertaste. This doesn’t happen with Rubyglow.” But, according to him, it didn't cost $400.
The chef believes that during family holidays, plates with this pineapple will become a centerpiece, especially in rich homes.