The $19 Strawberry: Decoding Luxury, Craft, and Viral Outrage

Mar 19, 2025

Dive into the viral curiosity of a $19 strawberry, revealing the complexities behind luxury consumption and outrage culture. Discover Japan's meticulous craftsmanship in fruit cultivation and the challenges of global logistics that make such a luxury item possible. The hosts analyze how social media fuels performative consumption and critique the intersection of sustainability and high-end markets. This discussion illuminates the absurdities of consumer behavior, framed within a larger cultural context of authenticity and digital engagement.

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ANECDOTE

Strawberry Season in Berlin

Johannes excitedly awaits strawberry season in Berlin, mentioning Karls Erdbeerhof and the strawberry booths.
He observes the fluctuating prices throughout the season, starting high and decreasing as supply increases.

INSIGHT

$19 Strawberry Phenomenon

The $19 strawberry at Erewhon, a luxury LA supermarket, has become a viral phenomenon.
This seemingly absurd price has sparked reactions of disbelief and outrage online.

INSIGHT

Japanese Luxury Fruit Tradition

Luxury fruit gifting has a long tradition in Japan, dating back to samurai times.
Japanese farmers use meticulous techniques like hand-pollination and individual fruit massaging.

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The $19 strawberry isn't ridiculous—it's the perfect artifact for decoding our conflicted relationship with luxury, authenticity, and outrage culture.

In this episode of Follow the Rabbit, Igor and Johannes examine the viral phenomenon of the $19 strawberry sold at Erewhon, the luxury LA supermarket previously featured in their Season 3 discussions. What begins as apparent late-stage capitalism absurdity reveals itself as a complex intersection of Japanese craftsmanship, global logistics, social media dynamics, and changing luxury consumption patterns.

The conversation traces how these rare Tochigi Prefecture strawberries—requiring seven years of cross-breeding and extreme cultivation care—transform from agricultural achievement to viral content. Through examining both the supply side (Japanese dedication to craft perfection, complex air shipping logistics) and the demand side (performative consumption, health signaling), the hosts reveal how this seemingly ridiculous luxury item perfectly encapsulates numerous cultural currents.

Key themes include:

Japan's centuries-long tradition of luxury fruit cultivation and gifting
The logistics challenge of delivering ultra-fresh produce across continents
How Western cultures romanticize Japanese craftsmanship as an antidote to digital disembodiment
The psychology behind viral "I tried it so you don't have to" content
The tension between sustainability concerns and luxury consumption
How outrage itself becomes part of the attention economy that propels phenomena like this

The episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how a simple strawberry becomes a mirror reflecting our complicated relationship with luxury, craft, consumption, and digital performance.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Strawberry Season
01:57 - The $19 Strawberry Phenomenon
05:01 - Japanese Luxury Fruit Traditions
11:00 - Craft, Logistics, and True Costs
17:25 - Digital Culture and Performative Consumption
23:43 - Sustainability Tensions and Status Signaling
27:29 - Irrationality, Art, and Exclusivity
29:58 - Closing Thoughts

Links:

Follow the Rabbit s03e04 – The Evolution of Health as a Luxury https://youtu.be/mgsRwe9pEk8
Erewhon's viral strawberry moment: https://www.tiktok.com/@alyssaantocii/video/7474331662508166430
Truly Classy – A Look Inside Japan’s World of Luxury Fruits: https://www.trulyclassy.com/look-inside-japans-world-luxury-fruits/
Food&Wine – Why Does This Single Strawberry Cost $19?: https://www.foodandwine.com/erewhon-viral-tochiaika-strawberry-11685638
People – Erewhon’s ‘Dystopian’ $19 Strawberry Has the Internet Outraged: https://people.com/erewhon-s-dystopian-strawberry-has-the-internet-outraged-11688868
Hiro Dreams of Sushi documentary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiro_Dreams_of_Sushi
Neil Postman - Amusing Ourselves to Death: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death