Tokyo - A jumbo black watermelon auctioned in Japan today fetched a record $6,100, 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 tag followed another jaw-dropping auction last month, when a pair of "Yubari" cantaloupe melons sold for a record $23,500.

The 7.7-kilogram, black-skinned "Densuke" watermelon, a variety grown only on the northern island of Hokkaido, was purchased today by a marine products dealer. He said he wanted to support local agriculture.

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

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

Ohira says 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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My grandmother would have agreed with him. She would search through every single one of them for the one with the darkest skin.

Is it any good eating??

Here in the USA we can get small round very dark green watermelons that are great, much better than the oval shaped striped ones. Maybe there are some of the very dark green ones where you are.

Sugar Baby Link

I agree the darker the better.. I love em' watermelons.