Why Miyazaki mangoes are so expensive

• Taiyo no Tamago are stunning, plump, red, perfectly unscratched, and incredibly sweet mangoes.
• Every year, the best mangoes are auctioned off in the Miyazaki Prefecture of Japan.
• The record was set in 2019 at 500,000 yen for a pair — almost $4,000.

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Taiyo no Tamago, or Egg of the Sun, are stunning, plump, red, perfectly unscratched, and incredibly sweet mangoes that are farmed in the Miyazaki Prefecture of Japan. Every year, the best mangoes are auctioned off to the highest bidder, with the record set in 2019 at 500,000 yen for a pair — almost $4,000. But although farmers in Miyazaki dedicate an entire year ( or their entire lives?) to preparing these mangoes for auction, there is no guarantee that the fruit will fetch such a high price. So why are Taiyo no Tamago mangoes so difficult to grow? And what makes them so expensive?