Could these $50 omakase strawberries revolutionize American produce?

[@karenreynolds7109]

As a child living in the country, I would pick small red strawberries from around my house. So good! Produce at a supermarket doesn't even come close. I would buy one of these expensive strawberries to compare.

[@MichaelCasey1988]

I get my strawberries from local farms in Virginia Beach and they're delicious. You can't compare handpicked strawberries to storebought ones which practically taste sour. I don't see Americans paying this much for strawberries when we have access to our local farm produce providers

[@Albopepper]

Yes! and the local farm producers would truly be using "sustainable" methods. They would be growing under _free_ sunlight. Growing strawberries under artificial lights in a temperature regulated environment might be "sustainable" as a business model. That is to say, it's _profitable._ But it's not better for the planet, not when comparing energy consumption. Even if transportation costs are reduced, the amount of net power consumed per strawberry is nothing to brag about.

[@PuffOfSmoke]

Fine dining restos is their biggest clientele and soon rich people and celebs. At $50 this is not for the average consumers.

[@MichaelCasey1988]

@PROUD PURE BLOOD there is a undeniable difference between store bought strawberries and local sourced berries that you pick yourself. You never need sugar or whip cream to eat them because they have no sour taste

[@twoplustwo07]

South Korea and Japan has always grown many kinds of special fruits and vegetables. Heck I think in either Japan or South Korea grow rice inside an office building.Walt Disney always grows special fruit and vegetables also. They all also grow their own special shape food. And believe me the only people who buy those special expensive fruit and vegetables are people who can afford it.

[@ObesePuppies]

They’re paying that lol.. this company is actually hiring more people. So the price is actually justifiable

[@Kneewrote]

I wish we cared about our produce as much as Japan does. Then maybe we could have consistent, tastier fruit and veggies

[@2_thumbs_up_baby]

And without pesticides

[@RemindThemAboutGeorgeFloyd]

And EGGS.

[@zawwin1846]

Except, we do care deeply about our produce. Many produce are thrown out because they dont fit our beauty standards. That said, America has one of the best in terms of the huge quantity and cheapness.

[@RealJudyi]

But we do care its just that we douse them in pesticides to look gorgeous plus we ship them all over the country instead of eating what's local. I mean I'm not remotely close to a climate to get Pineapples, avacado or mangos but I pay anyways. What I can get local is no problem.

[@joeellis2692]

​@A H Not when I currently have just over 300 strawberries plants. I'll probably have triple that come the end of year. Currently 25-30% or a June bearing the rest are a hybrid white summer long. I also plan on getting into Pineberry Strawberries this year.

[@Sc-ld7os]

I live in upstate New York and in season our strawberries taste like straight candy

[@paranoidhumanoid]

The CEO's description of American strawberries tasting like kiwis and cucumber is accurate. American grown produce is very bland and lacks flavor. Japanese produce is on a whole different level because of the growing, soil, shade/sun, and watering techniques that concentrate and bring out the flavors of produce. If you have ever been to Japan and tasted a melon, apple, globe grape or strawberry, you will for certain be blown away.

[@AJ-xm4xc]

That’s awesome 👏👏👏👏👏

[@FATDADDYSACK]

That thing is you can't just bunch everyone in the same category, there are farmers who care about quality first but the thing Oishii is doing is better marketing. Educating the masses about the "advance technology" to grow this type. Marketing is king.

[@makeitmakesense2616]

I got an aerogarden for Christmas. The technology is fascinating

[@liamlee8422]

8 strawberries cost $50.. give me a break... It's not like I will be couple years younger as a result of eating these god created strawberries

[@officetechtyping]

You might. 🤣

[@renna912]

No Way. I'll grow my own Strawberries..

[@ralphw7454]

I paid $50 for only 2 strawberries when i was in Tokyo. My friends thought i was crazy but when I sliced them up and shared… it was a flavor explosion. I even spent a ton on some muscat grapes. I work as a pastry cook, so when I had the chance to go to the Japan. I took every moment i can find to try something I will never find in the states. Totally worth the experience. You can make money any day, so why not spend it on memories and also Tokyo Disneyland 😂

[@renna912]

@@ralphw7454 🎉

[@andromedamessier3176]

@@renna912 yeah! Still no for me. I buy what I need, not what I want.

[@Froggy77100]

How unfortunate it is that we live in a country where some can afford a few strawberries for $50, while others hardly have that amount to purchase food for a month. It would be far more impressive if such technology was used to feed the masses, rather than cater only to the affluent.

[@JustCliff]

Though I get the sentiment, these strawberries are pretty normal in Japan and they cost even more for a smaller amount. In Japan fruit is treated like dessert, reserved for special occasions and the farmers who produce them work really hard to get the best quality out of them. It's not like the factory farms where it's more about having a higher yield. I think most people who can afford the high price, would do so if the quality exceeds expectations.

[@phoenixrisn9697]

$50 for 8 strawberries.😂 The rich don't even know what reality is. Smh🤦‍♂️

[@RoccosVideos]

The rich and conservatives live in an alternate reality.

[@cameronwhitaker3864]

This happens with an invention/product that is not easily available to the public. However, as the invention becomes more widely available, the prices go down. That's what happened when cell phones were being revolutionized.

[@renna912]

I'm not paying $ 50 for some strawberries nope. I'll grow my own.. a watermelon in Japan is $500

[@andromedamessier3176]

@@cameronwhitaker3864 no, dude fruit even in Japan are that expensive. Their watermelon can go up to $1000

[@JustCliff]

Ironically, every day people in Japan buy them.

[@EnronnSierra]

If I worked there, I would be munching and picking all day 😄

[@user-wo7rp6bc6t]

No eating

[@M.C.Blackwell]

@@user-wo7rp6bc6t no eating the profits!!!!🍓😘

[@OkieBadu]

Kind of hard to create a revolution at $50 for an eight pack

[@AO-bl7cc]

Right, but you go to a grocery store to buy a 5 dollar crate and often its been picked too early making them more tart and less sweet, and some of the time, mold is growing on some of the berries. If 50 bucks gets you a perfectly picked product, without the waste AND its a variety that can't be acquired without a plane ride across the pacific, then 50 bucks is deal. Hopefully one day there will be more farms to bring prices down.

[@umbreoneyes]

RIGHT?!😩🤣 the joke writes itself

[@cameronwhitaker3864]

This happens with an invention/product that is not easily available to the public. However, as the invention becomes more widely available, the prices go down. That's what happened when cell phones were being revolutionized.

[@RealJudyi]

I would NEVER pay $50 for a few berries. I planted a few in my yard and it gave me crazy amounts of sweet soft strawberries. Nothing like what you buy in the grocery stores.

[@aryaconnett4845]

I made a strawberry bed in my front yard. 20 years later, 1/2 the front yard is strawberries. I give away 200 plants a year. Each plant sends out runners. They taste excellent.

[@frankwc0o]

Exactly. I am grow them in my backyard and they are tasty. No need to pay $50, just a few bucks for many strawberries.

[@justinw8512]

Man I would love to farm like this one day. Soooooo cool.

[@ObesePuppies]

People who are saying “homegrown .. farmer market grown taste better” clearly never tasted these berries .. they are amazing.

[@froilancrisostomo9113]

Most of the expensive fruits are grown in Japan.Because they grow it not just for profit,not quantity but quality.Its like a piece of art.

[@JustCliff]

If you want to see how these are grown in Japan, there's an episode of a series called Japanology that covers that and multiple other topics. The context of the growing process explains the high price tag. Fruit in Japan is treated more like dessert, so high quality is what a lot of people look for.

[@antoniogonzalez1859]

I got these berries and can confirm they are amazing!

[@7HPDH]

A strawberry news story in January? Cmon

[@willcookmakeup]

I remember having Japanese strawberries once and it literally was like I’d never tasted an actual strawberry before

[@niknaksweets1109]

The best strawberries I’ve ever had came from a farmer’s market, they we’re big ruby red and the taste was amazing!!! I got a case of 6 for only $25.00 they were sweet and so tasty, I’m sorry $50 is just outrageous in price

[@ObesePuppies]

.. they’re expensive because of the farming method .. lol and they’re extremely delicious.

[@SmileyD7777]

That is a gorgeous room

[@nuggets0717]

A year ago a pound of strawberries cost about $3-5. Today they cost $8-10 (from my shopping experiences at various shops in NYC). Thanks, inflation. But this, I’m sorry, is not worth it. This is a PR piece, not news.

[@theweatherisaokay4964]

Never mind, I can wait for it to be on Toyota level and priced.

[@mistervo8185]

If it's $50 for 8 strawberries then it's not gonna revolutionary anything

[@SY-ok2dq]

That's right now, as this is the kind of startup phase, where a lot of equipment and development and experimentation costs are pumping up the prices of produce at the end. We should expect prices to come down as the process expands, and as time passes and produce is distributed more widely, and companies recover their initial expenses. The first pineapples sold in Victorian England were so super expensive that some people who wanted to show off wealth (or impress others and appear more wealthy than they were) would buy a pineapple and put it on display at a feast or event, and just keep it on display without even eating it. The really wealthy would eat it, of course. Fast forward a century, and pineapples were being grown cheaply on plantations in other countries, canned there, and shipped to Britain and Europe where they could be purchased by most people, even some of the working class, on a somewhat regular basis.

[@sunday8979]

Grow your fruit indoors and package them in as much plastic as possible and call it a “produce revolution”

[@ainmiky4620]

I wished they made it more affordable.

[@monicadelk8098]

The price is ridiculous. Well to each it's own.

[@skie6282]

Fun fact, you can get seeds for the native northern wild strawberry, type fragaria virginiana, they are really small but literally the best, absolute best tasting strawberries ever. And they dont need any special conditions, and planted outside they regrow yearly.

[@johnnykwon8173]

Mitsuwa near Santa Clara has “REN REN” pink strawberries at $39.99 a box. I think it was 8 to 12 strawberries per box. Yes it’s true I chuckled a little asking my mum who would pay for that. The R & D makes it justified if not a hard pill to swallow.

[@livewellwitheds6885]

lmao the tesla of strawberries

[@magnolia31611]

While I’m sure these strawberries are very good, you can’t compare mass produced, shipped across the country berries you find at the grocery store to hand picked locally grown strawberries. The town my husband and I are from has a strawberry festival each year because that’s what our town is known for, it’s sweet, beautiful, ruby red strawberries.

[@iLoveBoysandBerries]

I had these strawberries and honestly I can't taste any difference from any store bought ones

[@dripdibi3000]

That news anchor in the beginning thick vanilla milkshake 🥛

[@sasham1280]

Food for rich people

[@dragoonseye76]

$50 strawberries? No. No it will not help anything at that price

[@davidthedeaf]

I am growing Marshalls. Will see!

[@jcwt_pdx]

I wish this were here in Oregon 💜

[@PuffOfSmoke]

Japan is way ahead of everyone else. From infrastructure, to technology to bullet train and produce.

[@pkendall99]

When I was a kid in NC, we paid to pick our own strawberries in the spring. More strawberries went into my mouth than my basket. Local strawberries were sweet, ripe and delicious and not to mention cheap. They will blow away the ones in the store any day. Americans are not going to spend $50 for a couple pieces of fruit, it's just not every going to happen.

[@frankwc0o]

Costco's strawberries are fine and they are sweet. The problem is, we can buy fast food for a $1 and we can't seem to get fresh produce for that price, when that changes - then it will be revolutionary. Paying high price for fruits is not revolutionary, regardless if they are made in a lab or by dirt.

[@jenniferwilson9579]

$50? Nice idea, but….no.

[@Floreypottery]

It’s not the plant it’s the nutrients aka mountains of where their grown the soil the environments etc

[@mar7dong]

I Love Strawberry 🍓

[@edwardpinnix249]

Gayle trying to get them all!

[@Snooty-Pookie]

Unless these drop in price, I can’t see Americans all jumping on this bandwagon.

[@ishab745]

I can't wait to try these someday, sadly I can't order in Cali :(

[@ROZDAB]

$50 bucks for 8 berries. I just ate 8 strawberries in 90 seconds watching this.

[@snowmiaow]

It's an excuse for more disposable plastic. No thank you.

[@michaelreed4744]

Nice variety. 😃🌹🌹❤️

[@tyson3577]

This is what we are coming to. The very rich will be the only ones who will experience what a real strawberry tastes likes. I know he says he is working to make them cheaper but I will believe that when I see it. You won't ever get the Tesla of strawberry's the most you poor people can hope for is a used Toyota.

[@jessicalt4121]

Many plants can be grown vertically.

[@ainmiky4620]

If it's native to Japan then would it not be considered an invasive flora and therefore rejected at customs? Or?

[@oliverjason]

Driscoll Sweetest batch are better but I don’t see them too often

[@poodledoodlequilter6479]

The way the strawberries were packed in plastic is very wasteful, that only will keep me from purchasing them, we don't need more trash, if an item is over packaged I don't buy it!

[@figgettit]

its oiSHII not OIshi

[@anntrope491]

PRODUCE NO ONE CAN AFFORD? NO!!

[@SY-ok2dq]

Some people CAN afford it. At $50, as an occasional purchase, quite a lot of people could buy it. After all, they can afford to buy other things, like buy clothes, and do things like go on a weekend trip that costs far more. As a regular, every week purchase, it's only something people with a fairly high income can afford. But there's a market for it, just as there's a market for a $100 bottle of some kind of alcohol, or imported and pricey items like Russian caviar or lobster etc.

[@eddieyu80]

Eat when strawberry is just about ripen...consistant sweetier and creamier.

[@ainmiky4620]

Omg yes Japanese strawberries are superior. I also thought strawberries here in the States tasted lile Kiwi because they were so damn tangy, acidic, and sour? But sweeter varieties exist!

[@catebessencourt2137]

Produce grown indoors can’t possibly have the the same nutritional profile as food grown in soil and with sun ☀️

[@niknaksweets1109]

50.00 is way to much

[@Roche687]

Brilliant oishii 👍👍👍

[@dayseyenavajo3925]

The lack of trace minerals in produce makes it bland and no nutrients

[@janetjohnson9690]

No thank you. It's not in season.

[@diamondintheroughiamthelaw9682]

I'll pass😐

[@rhondabailey9238]

interesting bee bump 2:20....🐝🐝

[@Blitznstitch2]

Awesome

[@cielsebastian5145]

We’re making a cheaper version for mass production. Will they taste the same as the $50 ones? 😳👀 of course 😏.

[@cryptocat7119]

why the plastic packaging

[@2_thumbs_up_baby]

Special food for the rich. How unusual ... Will the average masses taste them before they die... Less plastic around the strawberries. Work on that too.👍

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Cute.

[@chrisbaker4622]

Those strawberries prob cost like 30$ a pint smh..

[@MissouriCrookedBarnHomestead]

They're being picked way too green. Strawberries are supposed to sweeten on the vines, so I'm suspicious of strawberries that are not completely deep red. The berry is not supposed to have any white or green on the fruit. All of the current strawberries on the market have the capability of being full flavored, sweet, delicious, but because of having to pick them before they're ready for the instant gratification market, they never achieve this full maturity.

[@davidpar2]

A fool and his money are soon parted

[@MountainMan23]

American commercial strawberries are virtually tasteless.

[@thdgcfx]

New jersey of all places? Lol

[@AeschylusShepherd]

There is a waiting list yet these folks get a bunch for nothing!

[@ayina111]

Well, it is broadcasted on national tv. Sure the owner will gladly give them some

[@taniaburton7559]

Gee, we've been waiting, here. Another 11, 780 folks, and we could afford some berries here in the neighborhood.

[@NoirL.A.]

oh wonderful more goodies for the wealthy and privileged. just like ELON MUSK sending rich people up into space i fail on every level to see how this is gonna "revolutionize" anything.

[@Satawolf]

Those don’t look sweet nor ripe at all. Really ripe berries are blood red those look off pink yikes.

[@operator0017]

Go GMO?! 👎🏽Artificial is artificial🤮, that is a descendant of a strawberry 🍓 I wonder what is the difference between that, and an organic 🍓?

[@janetjohnson9690]

You are messing with God's nature.

[@gwendolynstancell1847]

WE CAN DO THIS, TOO... WE'VE BEEN RESTRICTED... GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SABATOGING FARMING FOR YEARS... ENTER THE COUNTRY OF BENIFICENCE...