Erewhon's $19 strawberry is grown in Japan and claims to be the best-tasting strawberry on earth. Is it really?
I Tried the $19 Erewhon Strawberry and a Regular Strawberry—Here’s What I Thought
Updated on Mar. 04, 2025
It’s hard to beat the taste of a juicy, red, ripe strawberry, and upscale grocery chain Erewhon claims to have found the best-tasting strawberry in the world. The catch? It’s also likely the most expensive strawberry in the world, costing $19 for a single berry. (And we remember when $5 avocado toast was a scandal!) Unsurprisingly, the internet is buzzing with debate. Some influencers claim the vaunted strawberry is worth the price, and others refuse to buy the hype.
In the interest of strawberry lovers everywhere, we decided to stage a blind taste test to decide whether the Erewhon strawberry really lives up to its promise.
Why is the Erewhon strawberry so expensive?
The single, flawless berry arrives in a plastic dome that pops open, a bit like a box holding an engagement ring. The berry sits pointed upward, its leaves and stem pinned to a plastic disc, which conveniently doubles as a handle as you take a bite. Though it may appear to be freshly picked at peak ripeness, the strawberry has actually traveled over 5,000 miles from the Tochigi prefecture of Japan. Like another Japanese specialty fruit, sumo citrus, the berries are especially sweet. They’re quite low in acid, a result of several years of crossbreeding for the exact right flavor.
What are people saying about this $19 strawberry?
TikTok influencer @alyssaantocii calls it the best strawberry she’s ever had—but her commenters expressed doubts. “No berry is worth $19,” one said. Another pointed out that the marketing ploy is going to impact the experience: “If I dropped $20 on a strawberry, I’d probably convince myself it was the best one I’ve ever tasted, too.” Others mentioned the environmental impact of the berry’s long journey and excessive plastic packaging.
How do you eat Tochiaika strawberries?
According to purveyors of the specialty fruit, Tochiaika strawberries are best eaten fresh, straight from your hand. If the berry is refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature for 15 or 30 minutes; cold temperatures mute flavor. Immediately before eating, give the berry a quick rinse, then take small bites, chewing slowly to enjoy the taste.
Is the Erewhon strawberry really that good?
Curious, we decided to stage a blind taste test to determine whether the Erewhon strawberry is really that good—or even noticeably better than ordinary strawberries.
How our taste test worked
Linda Cheung, a Taste Recipes video producer, sent her boyfriend to buy premium strawberries from Erewhon and a pint of Driscoll’s strawberries from Whole Foods.
What our tester thought
Linda correctly guessed which one was the Erewhon strawberry during the blind taste test. She said that the berry had a light, sweet flavor, with no tartness at all, and that the fruit had a “softer texture.” She reported that the other berry, the one from Whole Foods, was tart with more flavor and “crunchier” texture. Linda said this strawberry was juicier, too.
She also noticed some differences in the look of the berries. The Erewhon strawberry had smaller, brighter seeds, while the Whole Foods strawberry had larger, darker yellow seeds and broader leaves. However, the size of the berries and red color were about the same.
The Erewhon strawberry costs $19.99, and a 16-ounce container of Driscoll’s non-organic strawberries is $4.29 at Whole Foods. Linda said she’s unlikely to go back for another taste of the luxury strawberry, though she is glad she had the opportunity to try one (and expense the cost)!
