Japanese mangoes known as Taiyo no Tamago, or Egg of the Sun, are grown in the Miyazaki Prefecture. They are attractive, plump, red, perfectly unscratched, and wonderfully sweet.
The best mangoes are auctioned off to the highest bidder each year; the record price for a pair was achieved in 2019 at 500,000 yen, or approximately $4,000.
Although farmers in Miyazaki spend a whole year getting these mangoes ready for auction, there is no assurance that the fruit will fetch a high price because the mango must be flawless on the inside and out before it can be placed on the auction table.
The mangoes go through so many processes before they can be auctioned, and this is one of the reasons why they are sold at an expensive price.
Here are some of the processes the mango goes through:
Mangoes require bees, so some growers go over and beyond to rent bees while the fruit is in bloom. Bees are essential to the pollination of mango plants because, without them, mangoes won't develop to their full size.
There may be up to 200 pollinated fruits per tree, depending on the activity of these bees. The fruit won't ripen or increase in size if a bee doesn't pollinate it.
Everything in the greenhouse must function properly for mangoes to develop successfully. A steady temperature, adequate ventilation, dehumidification of the air, and protection from gravity are all requirements.
For the mango's color to grow vibrant and its sugar content to rise, it must also be exposed to sunshine.
The mangoes will be collected for examination when they have grown. The human eye performs the initial inspection. Each mango is carefully examined by inspectors to make sure it is completely red.
Then a machine separates them by size, weight, and sugar content. The mangoes will be divided into five categories during this examination, two of which are Taiyo no Tomango.
The mangoes will now travel to the main wholesale market in preparation for the auction. The best mangoes sell for the highest price at auction, and occasionally a department store will purchase them to exhibit and sell them at a profit.