Meet the most expensive melon in Harrods

Enter Harrods’ Food Halls and you’ll be greeted with kiosks of high-end cuts of meat, artisan cheeses and fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Look closer and you’ll see a singular fruit delicately placed atop a silk red pillow. With a gold tag around its T-shaped stem, the Crown melon is arguably the shining jewel in Harrods’ fresh produce.

Originating from Japan’s Pacific coast, the Crown melon – grown in the hills of Shizuoka Prefecture – is the country’s number one fruit that is deftly harvested by human hands to ensure optimal growth and sweetness. Only the finest specimens make it out of the hilly region to market, which is why it is given the ultimate royal treatment, including massages by skilled labourers and careful shading to prevent sunburn in sunny weather.

For a century, this luxury fruit has been cultivated by the “one tree, one fruit” method. The plants are placed in raised isolation beds, the blossoms painstakingly pollinated by hand and hand-watered, all before being pruned so that only one fruit is produced from the entire plant. The theory is that all the nutrients and sugars are concentrated into a single fruit, creating a produce of superior quality.

Going to such lengths, however, does not guarantee the Crown Melon Seal of Approval. Each melon undergoes inspection for its appearance (it must be free of all blemishes), weight and sweetness before it is recognised as the luxury delicacy.

This meticulous process and ultimate exclusivity explain its hefty retail price. One of these Crown melons will set you back £150 and should be eaten within 24 hours to avoid its quick deterioration.

That being said, its flavour is rumoured to be unrivalled, with a silky smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture far exceeding that of your average cantaloupe or honeydew.

Intrigued? We’ll see you in the Food Hall…

Crown melon, Class 1, £150, Available to purchase at Harrods Fresh Market Hall; 87–135 Brompton Road
, SW1X 7XL