Beautiful Princes Makes Curious, Strawberries that Cost Rp5.3 Million Each

Dream - If you want to enjoy strawberries, Dream friends just need to buy them at the fruit store and the fruit is quite affordable. Sometimes sold per kilogram or in packages, around tens of thousands of rupiah. There are also imported strawberries that may cost hundreds of thousands.

Have you ever imagined a strawberry that is sold for Rp5.3 million per piece? This strawberry is a variety from Japan known as Bijin-Hime, or Beautiful Princess.

It is called that because its shape is so perfect, with a rosy red color. Its taste is also known to be very fresh and sweet. This strawberry was developed by Mikio Okuda, a Japanese farmer.

Mikio has more than 45 years of experience in growing strawberries. In developing Bijin-Hime, Mikio took more than 15 years. Now, this strawberry variety is considered to be the most high-quality.

Bijin-Hime is larger in size compared to the average strawberry, weighing about 100 grams. In terms of sweetness, Bijin-Hime ranks at 13 degrees Brix, which makes it much sweeter than the standard 10 degrees Brix strawberries.

The texture of Bijin-Hime strawberries is said to have a perfect balance between soft and firm, and the bright red color of its skin is very shiny. This fruit also does not have the acidity that is usually found in most strawberries.

Like many other Japanese strawberry farmers, Mikio Okuda grows his Beautiful Princess variety during the winter months. Growing them requires intensive monitoring of soil and air temperatures inside a greenhouse.

The fruit is grown on Okuda's plantation in Hashima, Gifu Prefecture. The slow ripening process may be one of the secrets behind the sweet and intense flavor of these strawberries.

With such a complicated cultivation process, it is not surprising that these strawberries are sold for US $350 or around Rp3.5 million. There are also some sold for US $500 or Rp7.5 million.

Source: Oddity

Rare White Strawberries from Chile, Sweet Taste Similar to Pineapple

Dream - Strawberries are often associated with their red color and their sweet and sour taste. This beautiful fruit can be eaten directly or used as an ingredient in drinks or desserts.

In Chile, there is a variant of strawberries that are white in color and are considered rare, called Frutilla Blanca. They only grow in small quantities on the slopes of the Nahuelbuta Range forest. According to Atlas Obscura, these strawberries have a sweet taste and aroma similar to pineapple, which makes them very different from ordinary strawberries.

The Mapuche, the indigenous people of Chile, were the first to cultivate this pale white strawberry variety, which they call kellen. In addition to eating them raw, the Mapuche tribe also dries them like raisins, ferments them, and uses them as traditional medicine.

Rare Fruits

In 1714, a French spy named Amedee Francois Frézier brought five white strawberries to Europe. Three decades later, European farmers crossbred their strawberry varieties with the Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) from the eastern part of North America. This crossbreeding resulted in the strawberries that are widely consumed today.

Currently, white strawberries are only found in the cities of Contulmo and Puren in Chile. They are quite expensive, with one kilogram priced at 22,000 Chilean pesos or around Rp371,000. They are considered a rare fruit, and their harvest season is very short, lasting only five weeks between December and January.

This has led the people of Chile to strive to preserve and conserve this fruit. It is not only an agricultural product but also a part of their culture.

"In addition to being a native species, it is also very important for global conservation," said Jairo Carvajal, an agricultural expert from Chile.

Carvajal even argues that the sweet taste of white strawberries is far superior to red strawberries. Are you curious to taste these strawberries, Dream friends?

Source: Atlas Obscura

For those of you who sell food or like to order food online, you can visit ManisdanSedap.com. In addition to helping culinary enthusiasts find and order a variety of favorite menus, this platform also helps MSME owners showcase their products as a 'showcase'.

Complete with a direct purchase button leading to the seller's WhatsApp number, buyers can interact with the seller and make separate transactions from the platform. Come on, make your home culinary business more known by joining ManisdanSedap.com!

Let's PO Now at ManisdanSedap!

Should Strawberries Soak in Saltwater Before Eating?

Dream - Strawberries are rich in vitamin C. This fruit is often eaten directly or used as an ingredient in ice creams, puddings, or other dishes. How do you usually prepare strawberries, Dream friends?

Some people wash them with running water, soak them first, or maybe eat them directly. There are many videos circulating on social media showing strawberries soaked in saltwater and small creatures coming out of them. Like worms and insects.

Should strawberries be soaked before processing? According to KlikDokter, if insects are accidentally consumed, it will not cause poisoning. Basically, these insects are not harmful or toxic.

Even if worms are accidentally swallowed, they are not too dangerous. Usually, worms are found in various fruits and vegetables, especially organic products (without any pesticides at all).

The use of salt is actually intended to help clean pesticides, insects, and worms along with their eggs that are present on fruits or vegetables. You can soak them in saltwater if you want to get rid of worms and insects, but if not, simply rinse them under running water.

To clean strawberries thoroughly, here is a guide you can follow:
- Make a mixture with a ratio of salt and water of 1:1
- For every cup of warm water poured into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt
- Let the mixture cool down and dissolve slightly before adding the strawberries
- Add the strawberries and let them sit for 5 minutes