London: A bunch of about 30 ping pong ball-sized grapes of the Ruby Roman variety set a new world record when it sold for 1.1m yen or Rs 7,37,004 lakh.
The grapes are grown in Ishikawa prefecture and to qualify for the Ruby Roman designation, each grape must weigh at least 20g and have a sugar content of at least 18 percent, the Guardian reported.
The buyer of Thursday's bunch promised to dole out samples to a few fortunate patrons. "These are truly Ruby Roman gems," bidder Takamaru Konishi from western Japan told the press, adding "We will display them at our store before giving our customers a sample taste."
The sale kicks off the auction season for Ruby Romans in Japan. Other fruits, from apples to watermelons, can also fetch huge sums under the hammer.
