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Erewhon Market is an upscale, organic grocery food store that’s primarily located in the Los Angeles area. Think of it as Whole Foods for the rich and famous. Everyone from the Kardashians to Jason Momoa have been papped shopping there. Hailey Beiber, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Bella Hadid are among the younger starlets to have smoothie collaborations with the chain. It’s a big thing for a certain subset of people. It’s also one of those places that attracts tourists. Mr. Rosie has to go to Los Angeles for work every other month, and he’s heard about it from coworkers.
Right now, Erewhon’s biggest trend is these $19 strawberries. And when I say “$19 strawberries,” I mean a “$19 strawberry.” As in, it’s one singular strawberry that costs $19. They were grown in Kyoto, Japan and are packaged in their own little bubble container that, to me, looks like either a spaceship pod or the enclosure for the Beast’s rose in Beauty and the Beast. Anyway, these organic strawberries are the new “it” thing because they’re supposed to be the “best tasting strawberries on the planet.” There’s so much hype that even Demi Lovato got in on the action. She did a taste test on TikTok.
It’s become a rite of passage for both citizens and visitors of Los Angeles to hit up Erewhon for overpriced groceries — $23 smoothies, $19 cauliflower bites, and a $20.99 gallon of raw milk are just some of the store’s hottest, and most ridiculously expensive, items. Demi Lovato appears to have become the latest casualty in Erewhon’s cash grab after purchasing one overpriced item in particular: a $19 strawberry from Kyoto, Japan.
The singer posted a full review of the fruit on TikTok to her 6.8 million followers. “Apparently you’re supposed to smell it,” Lovato said, opening the package and taking a whiff. “It smells like a strawberry.” Surprise, surprise. Lovato then takes a bite, appearing unimpressed. “I’d give it an 8 out of 10,” she said. “It’s like, not tart at all, which I like. I don’t like tart strawberries, but it’s not that sweet. Oh well. Just wasted $20.” The video currently has 13.8 million views and thousands of people in the comments, berating the star for even buying it in the first place.
“This level of capitalism is actually sick,” one person commented, while another noted they were “watching from district 12” and someone else said they “hate America.” “‘I just wasted $20’ is the only appropriate response,” another comment said.
I have to side with the haters on this one. There are plenty of other useful things Lovato could have spent $19 on instead. A burrito bowl from Chipotle, for example. A few cartons of eggs. Or even a three-pack of those really nice Aritzia socks. While Lovato will never get that $19 back, we will have this TikTok review forever. For that we thank her.
Like I said above, Mr. Rosie’s coworkers have told him about Erewhon. He actually knew all about the strawberries before I even showed him Demi’s video, and we live all the way across the country. So, it’s a real thing. I guess it helps to put the nationwide price of eggs into perspective, lol. I cannot imagine paying that much money for one singular strawberry, apple, melon, banana, or any other kind of fruit. There really are so many other things that you can spend $19 on to make it go further. Sure, these magic Kyoto strawberries may be bigger than other ones, but it’s still just a freaking strawberry, right? I’m really curious if anyone out there has tried one of them and if they live up to the hype.
Demi Lovato tries the new 19$ strawberry from Erewhon. pic.twitter.com/inmqkmvzsM
— Reels (@benditochicas) March 8, 2025
Someone who lived in my home before me was a fan of mock strawberries, a plant I have tried in vain to eradicate from my garden. The first time I saw it, I was really happy, because I thought we had wild strawberries.
Mock strawberries are a sneaky, tasteless weed.
Wild strawberries are tiny, super fragrant fruit with a really intense strawberry flavor. I know they exist in the US, because I ate them as a kid. They have a decent version in Europe, too, if you’re lucky enough to come across them.
The next best strawberries are the ones grown in sunshine that you protect from slugs and eat from your garden. I cannot imagine any strawberry like the one Demi bit into, no matter hoe big and pretty, tasting as good. And $19, really?! Get seeds and plant them (or buy a plant)–so much cheaper and better!!
They exist! We grow them because my husband loves them.
Why $19? Why not $18 or $20?
The original Erewhon was started here in Boston about 50 years ago. It was just a natural/organic food store. It was bought out when the owners went bankrupt and now there are $19 strawberries. Weird.
She wanted to see what the hype was and gave us a review. She let us know it wasn’t worth it. Don’t really get why people would be upset about that. I’d be mad at the store for pricing it that way, not at her for trying it and letting the rest of us know not to waste our money. Not that I would in this case, but someone had to try this stuff to let us know what we’re not missing.
I agree. Why are people hating on her for giving a review. I am so tired of people telling someone how they should spend their money.
Same here. I mean the ridiculous price of some skin care products gets my goat but at the end of the day, it’s that person’s money. This judgy-judgy ish is irritating sometimes.
I completely agree with this. It’s not like she told everyone that eats them 10 at a time. It was a one-time purchase to see what the story was. I thought it was more entertaining then most of these “I tried it so you don’t have to” posts.
I agree, this was a public service.
Ridiculous amount of unnecessary plastic encasing that one over-priced piece of fruit.
Apparently, it’s a thing in Japan. In some supermarkets bananas are wrapped in plastic one by one, because people find it more hygenic or something. If anyone knows more about it, please enlighten us. I hope it won’t become a thing elsewhere, because it’s so much unnecessary plastic.
Good grief on toast.
For a single strawberry to be anywhere close to deserving that price point, it would have to be the size of my head and taste like spending twelve hours on the very best shrooms — incredibly happy, fragrant, and pink.
Something the size of your head would be the $120 cantaloupe from Japan. I remember it was a prized gift at one time – I think it was resurrected on TikTok a couple of years ago.
@Eurydice —
Good lord. Reminds me of when pineapples were so expensive and so trendy in England that people would rent them for dinner party centerpieces. Heaven help the naif who actually cut one and served himself!
And… I went looking to see if I could source my memory of someone doing just that at a 17th Century dinner party. Didn’t find it, but did find a capper for your $120 cantaloupe.
Apparently incredibly spendy pineapples are back:
https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dining/rubyglow-pineapple-luxury-fruit-1235622900/
I mean…someone is gonna buy it, but Kyoto strawberries? I am not familiar, but have tried from many regions in Japan and have been to a greenhouse where you can eat as many as you can for 60 minutes!!! Heaven on earth.
I am a strawberry freak in Japan and my favorite ones are from Fukuoka Prefecture (Amaou), but they are not 19 dollars per berry!!!
I have added All You Can Eat Strawberry Greenhouse to my Japan travel list. Thank you.
We grow strawberries in our garden and they are the best tasting ones I have ever heard. We used to live in California and would buy from a local farmer in Salinas. Those were also amazing. A strawberry flown from Japan to California seems superfluous.
That’s what I was thinking, the best strawberries in the world are growing right outside your door in CA, why buy one that had to be picked early so as not to spoil or be damaged during shipping? Well, a fool and their money are soon parted. (I do appreciate Demi’s reasons- after all, got her a lot of clicks and we are talking about her. That’s worth $20)
I was expecting something more gargantuan. Honestly, I’ll sometimes get a few strawberries that are almost that big within the 1 pound package I pick up from Wegmans that costs, what…$4? This reminds me of when grocery stores sell overpriced slices of cauliflower by calling them “cauliflower steaks.”
That sounds so…pretentious.
To put it in perspective, you could buy 3 dozen of those strawberries, or spend the same amount of money on a giant wheel of Italian cheese that you and you friends and your friends’ friends could nosh on for months.
Given that choice, I’d go for the cheese wheel in a hot second.
Fresh wild or garden strawberries are amazing, but a $20 pretentious single strawberry experience is ridiculous (and I’d usually argue in favor of affordable little luxuries)
“I just wasted $20.” Yeah, anyone could’ve told you that, but thanks anyways I guess.
I live in Ontario, Canada, where we have excellent local strawberries in season. I’m okay never eating an imported strawberry from anywhere.