Japan's Ruby Roman Grapes world's most expensive grapes; costs over Rs 33,000 per bunch

Grapes are one of the most popular fruits and found in abundance in tropical climatic regions. Despite the fact that grapes are affordable and widely available, the cost of this Japanese variety of premium grapes may leave you stunned. Ruby Roman grapes, which are solely grown in Japan, have long been regarded as the world's most expensive grapes.

It has been reported that a single bunch of these luxury grapes can be sold for as high as $450, which is more than Rs 33,000 in Indian currency. According to a report by Business Insider, a single bunch of Ruby Roman grapes can be sold for $90 to $450 provided the colour of the fruit matches that of an approved colour palette. The report stated that these grapes attract high prices because of their extraordinary quality as they are properly inspected before being approved. The Ruby Roman grapes have been valued at a higher price due to three factors: their flavour, their distinct and uniform colour, and their distinctive size, the report stated. 

It is pertinent to mention that this variety of grapes are rare because they are only sold and marketed in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture. After 14 years of investment, this variety of grapes were produced and only 24,000 bunches are grown every year, making them highly expensive and extremely rare in nature, according to Business Insider.  The Ishikawa administration has placed strict rules for the sale of  Ruby Roman grapes.

Each bunch is thoroughly inspected before being sold to ensure its quality and a certification seal is also attached with each bunch of grapes. According to Hiroshi Isu, a chief researcher at Japan's Ishikawa Prefectural University, there is no other variety that matches the size and colour of Ruby Roman, which is why the fruit is so precious, reported Business Insider. 

Ruby Roman grapes divided into three categories

Kazuyoshi Sakurai, a Ruby Roman grape inspector at Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, told the Business Insider that each grape is examined using highly specific criteria. He said that there are three types of grapes: superior grapes, special superior grapes, and premium grapes. The average Ruby Roman grape weighs roughly 20 grams, but the premium must weigh more than 30, according to Sakurai. He added that only one or two of the bunches are considered premium and all three categories of Ruby Roman grapes have a distinct sweetness. It is worth mentioning here that a single bunch of this variety of grapes had attracted a whopping price of $12,000 at an auction in 2020, according to Business Insider.