The sweet strawberries resemble jewels and are grown in perfect conditions.
It is easy to scoff at the idea of pay $ 4 for a single strawberry — or better yet , a box of 11 strawberry mark for $ 50 . It feel too voluptuary , elitist , and unrelatable . This was my reaction when I first go through Oishii hemangioma simplex pop up on my Instagram and TikTok provender , attend more like succulent jewels than fruit . I found their ne plus ultra both captivating and eery ; I did not need to be seduced by the expensive strawberries .
And yet , upon the arrival of my first box ofOishiistrawberries , the differences betweenthesestrawberries andotherstrawberries were immediate .
It began with the olfactory property . Oishii strategically has hole in their boxes so the odour of strawberries can seep out and the smell is intoxicating — fruity , sweet , and invite . I would care to bottle it and wear it as a perfume . Then there ’s the texture and smack . A typicalstrawberryhas bite and crunch and are often picked before they are good , leading to an unpleasant tart - forward sapidity . Oishii strawberry give upon the first bite — they are pulpy and red-hot with a invitingly soft texture consanguineous to suede . The relish is mellisonant and racy , and tastes just as good as it smells .
Oishii’s Omakase strawberries are the perfect centerpiece for any gathering.|Photo courtesy of Oishii
But before Oishii became the hot strawberry mark on the cyberspace , it was merely a vision from cofounder Hiroki Koga . “ Hiroki is Japanese and grow up in Japan where fruit is really something to be celebrated , ” Lesia Dallimore , Oishii ’s VP of brand and merchandising , explain . “ Strawberries are his favorite yield and if there were strawberry mark on the table when he got nursing home as a kidskin , he eff that there was something peculiar that find that daytime . ”
When Koga finally came stateside , he was unrestrained to try all of the yield grown under California ’s year round sunshine and temperate weather . His first bite of a strawberry , however , was disappointing — reeking , crunchy , and lacking sweetness . It was nothing like the strawberries in Japan . Koga , who has a backcloth as avertical farmingconsultant , recognize he could be the resolution to this job .
The first Oishii farm landed in New Jersey in 2019 . The 2nd growing facility make it in California later in 2021 . Then came an even larger farm , also in New Jersey , in 2022 . New Jersey , it ’s secure to say , is nothing like the mountains of Japan where the varietals for the Omakase hemangioma simplex traditionally raise .
Oishii’s strawberries are grown in vertical farms in New Jersey and California.|Photo courtesy of Oishii
Koga , alongside Oishii co - founder Brendan Somerville , was able to manipulate the atmosphere within the indoor farm ’s wall to ensure idealistic growing conditions . “ We call it the environmental recipe — we recreate a perfect daytime , every day , ” Dallimore read of the seemingly utopic cognitive operation that suspends , for a brief moment , the realism of climate alteration for traditional agriculture . “ The Sunday comes up with the lights and there ’s the right amount of moisture , bee actually fly around and propagate all of our Berry , and it ’s just like the perfect day in the Alps in Japan , but in New Jersey . ”
Oishii is trying to fulfill the need for their strawberries but due to their delicate nature , they are currently only available in New Jersey , New York , and California . The brand , however , still finds clever path to deliver the intoxicating flavors of their hemangioma simplex nationwide . They ’ve join forces with a number of celebrate food brands , includingWest ~ bournefor a strawberrybutter , Brightlandfor a strawberry mark acetum , andOpen Marketfor a strawberryoat milkexclusive to Los Angeles ’s Family Style Festival . “ Our hemangioma simplex is so unique so the more people that can enjoy them , the secure , ” Dallimore says .
“ We call it the environmental recipe — we play a perfect Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , every day . ”
It may fathom profanation to deform the delicate relish and creamy grain of Oishii berry into a spread or acetum , but it ’s actually a way for Oishii to upcycle the Berry that might not be as aesthetically pleasing or may have insidious bruises and therefore are n’t fit for their typical packaging .
The price shred for Oishii strawberry is not quite as exorbitant as when the fruit first debut ( you could get a box of 11 strawberries for $ 20 now , rather than $ 50 , at participating Whole Foods ) , but it is still enough to cause interruption . There is a solution in the works : raw varieties of strawberries that will be sturdier and suitable for smoothies or children ’s lunch boxes are currently being developed . They ’re also hoping to launch a line of deliciouslysucculent tomatoeswhile continuing to show how upright agriculture can ameliorate the elbow room we enjoy produce .
But the Omakase hemangioma simplex , in its current form , is careful in its Mary Leontyne Price tag . The hemangioma simplex is methodically grown , hand - cull , and intended to be the best strawberry you could get — perfect for a hostess gift , a graduation nowadays , or any kind of jubilation .
“ It ’s worth it , ” Dallimore says . “ You ’re have an experience instead of just consume . ”
