Get your mother the mother of all mangoes.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and some of you might be in a bit of a panic, trying to think of the perfect present. You’re probably already given her some novelty fishing lures or a backpack shaped like a steak, and wonder what original gift could there possibly be left.
Well, we have just the solution for what to give the mother who has everything: a mango!
This is hardly your average mango, however. It is a Miyazaki Ripe Mango (Miyazaki Kanjuku Mango), painstakingly cultivated in the strictest of conditions, including consistent ventilation and just the right amount of sunlight to allow them to develop a nearly perfect red hue. They also aren’t picked. Instead, nets are suspended beneath them, and when they become fully ripe, they naturally fall off the tree.
▼ A TV segment showing how Miyazaki Ripe Mangoes are caught by nets after falling from the tree.
This process not only gives them a much sweeter taste than ordinary mangoes, but they’re also richer in antioxidants, beta carotene, and folate. So, the gift of a Miyazaki Ripe Mango isn’t just a tasty treat. It’s the gift of healthy eating.
This kind of quality does not come cheap, however, and a single Miyazaki Ripe Mango costs 9,180 yen (US$58). It also comes with a special Mother’s Day box and gift card for you to write your own message on. That might be a little steep, but really, what price can you put on the joy a mother feels when she gets a mango?
For those with two mothers or who just really want to go all out on a single mother, a set of two mangoes is sold for 17,280 yen.
Or you can also get a set of one mango and a preserved flower arrangement for 20,760 yen. It’s a little surprising that this set costs more than two mangoes, but at least your mom can keep the flowers for a long time.
Unfortunately, it’s too late for me, because I already bought my mother some Yoshinoya for Mother’s Day, but for anyone else, a luxury mango might really make for a memorable gift. They’re sold at Nihombashi Sembikiya stores in and around Tokyo and can also be purchased from their online store here between 25 April and 10 May. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can also buy an exquisite Taiyo no Tamago (“Egg of the Sun”) mango for 22,464 yen ($141). These are Miyazaki Ripe Mangoes that have grown to the meet the highest standards of size, color, and flavor.
And, of course, not everyone is a fan of mangoes, but Japan also has a vast selection of high-end strawberries, bananas, grapes, cherries, watermelons, persimmons, and much more. However you do it, when you tell your mother how you feel this year, say it with fruit.
Source, images: PR Times
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