Peak strawberry season in southern California starts in early spring and spans through fall, but Erewhon in Los Angeles is preemptively tempting shoppers -- and social media -- with the plump, sweet, seeded fruit, selling an individual berry from Japan for $19.
The upscale certified organic retailer is selling the famed Kyoto-based luxury produce purveyor Elly Amai's berries, which typically go for $90 for a tray of 15 strawberries online.
The internet is aghast with sticker shock, with social media users and content creators sharing their reactions and flooding comment sections on the Elly Amai Instagram page, as well as the Instagram page of Alyssa Antoci, the Erewhon owners' niece, who posted a review of the $19 strawberry on Feb. 22.
While rare and specialty ingredients are nothing new, especially in the culinary world, the LA retailer is cashing in on selling a single piece of the high-end fruit and enticing shoppers with the perfectly packaged berry, which comes on a miniature plastic pedestal with a matching clear cloche.
According to Elly Amai, limited quantities of the produce are "flown in weekly straight from our farms in Japan," which explains the hefty price tag.
Reactions to the pricey berry on social media have so far ranged from "ridiculous" to blasting the brand's carbon footprint and single-use plastic packaging.
A representative for Elly Amai told "Good Morning America" on Thursday that the "celebrated custom of luxury fruit gifting" comes "at the same prices you'd find in Tokyo."
"Each perfect piece delivers the same exceptional quality and flavor that has made this tradition special for generations. It's like being the first to bring wagyu to America," the representative said. "The farm only grows seasonally from December to May, and they work everything themselves."
In Antoci's video, which has amassed over 16 million views on TikTok so far, the influencer and content creator takes a large bite of the berry and says, "Wow, that is the best strawberry, that's crazy."
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Other social media users have followed suit, sharing similar first-taste reactions to the fruit, with some even producing parody videos. Among the latter group is content creator Daniel Preda, who leaned into the luxury pricing in a video, saying, "I'm gonna taste this for you, since you never will."
Erewhon also sells less-pricey berries, for those unwilling to shell out the cash for the "luxury" fruit. A 1-pound container of Harry's Berries from Oxnard, California, is currently on sale via Erewhon's website for $21.99 -- $3 off the usual price of the organic produce.
A representative for Erewhon Market did not immediately respond to a "GMA" request for comment.
The famed market, known for its organic, minimally-processed offerings, celebrity-branded smoothies, unique and harder-to-find items like camel milk, and celebrity sightings, has 10 locations spanning LA County.
