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Jumbo watermelon fetches $6,100 US in Japan

Friday, June 6, 2008 | 08:08 AM ET

The Associated Press

A jumbo black watermelon auctioned in Japan on Friday fetched a record $6,100 US, making it one of the most expensive watermelons ever sold in the country.

In a society where melons are a luxury item commonly given as gifts, the watermelon's hefty price followed another jaw-dropping auction last month, when a pair of "Yubari" cantaloupe melons sold for a record $23,500 US.

The about 7.7-kg, black-skinned "Densuke" watermelon, a variety grown only on the northern island of Hokkaido, was purchased Friday by a marine products dealer who said he wanted to support local agriculture, according to Kyodo News agency.

The price was the highest on record for a Densuke watermelon, said Kazuyoshi Ohira, a spokesman for the Tohma Agricultural Cooperative in Hokkaido.

Most retail at department stores and supermarkets for a more modest $188 to $283, Ohira said.

And what makes a watermelon worth $200, much less $6,000?

Ohira said it's the unusual black skin and unparalleled taste. "It's a watermelon, but it's not the same," he said.

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