Looking for an original Valentine's Day gift? How about a special Kotoka strawberry hand-picked in Japan that comes pre-packed in a special gift box? It's said to be very tasty, and it only costs HKD168.

你在寻觅独特的情人节礼物吗？一颗包在特制礼品盒里的精选日本科托卡草莓怎么样？据说草莓味道不错，而且售价“仅为”168港币。

City'super, a supermarket chain in Hong Kong, has come under fire recently for selling what many have called "the most expensive strawberry in the world". Priced at HKD168 a piece, these Kotoka strawberries are apparently¹ hand-picked to ensure that only the finest specimens² hit the market, and flown in from Japan. They come individually packaged in plastic-covered paper boxes, complete with a straw nest and Styrofoam "sock", to emphasize their exclusivity. Photos of the ridiculously expensive "designer fruits" have been doing the rounds on social media in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, with most people declaring themselves appalled³ by the display of decadence⁴.

近日，香港连锁超市超生活因出售被许多人称为“世界上最贵的草莓”而遭到指责。这种日本进口的科托卡草莓一颗售价168港币，据说为了保证供应品相最优的草莓，它们都是经过精挑细选的。为了彰显它们的尊贵，这些套着泡沫网的草莓被单独放在裹着塑料的纸盒子里，盒子里面还铺着稻草。这种贵得离谱的“名牌水果”的照片在香港和大陆的社交媒体上流传，很多人对这样奢侈腐化的产品感到震惊。

The supermarket, which advertises itself as a "mega lifestyle specialty⁵ store", has responded to the negative feedback by saying that the retail⁶ prices of its products are based on a number of factors, including purchase price, transport costs, market conditions and product exclusivity. City'super representatives also added that the supermarket was merely trying to offer "more choices of premium⁷ fresh produce to Hong Kong customers", and that the Kotoka strawberries were intended as special Valentine's Day Gifts. After all, who doesn't find a HKD168 strawberry romantic.

超生活超市自我标榜是“品质生活专卖店”，该超市对负面反响做出了回应，称其产品的零售定价基于采购价格、运输成本、市场情况以及产品专营权等多项因素。超生活的代表们还称，他们仅仅是想要“为香港的顾客提供更多优质新鲜的产品”，而科托卡草莓是一种独特的情人节礼物。毕竟，有谁不觉得168港币一颗的草莓很浪漫。

"The strawberry gift box was imported from Japan with its original packaging given its premium grade, rarity and fragility for quality protection," the statement read. "From Kotoka, the strawberries are considered as delicacies⁸ of limited quantity and they are handpicked to ensure only the highest quality ones are harvested."

超生活的声明称：“考虑到草莓优质珍贵且品质易受损，礼盒是从日本原装进口的。在科托卡，这种草莓被视为稀有的美味佳肴，人们精挑细选以保证只采摘最优质的草莓。”

Grown in the Japanese city of Nara, near Osaka, Kotoka strawberries are considered rare fruit, and are famous for their "good acidity⁹ and rich sweetness". However, for the thousands of people who have declared themselves shocked by the bizarre product, these qualities aren't enough to justify¹⁰ the price tag.

珍稀的科托卡草莓产自日本大阪附近的奈良市，以“酸甜可口”著称。然而，许多人对这一奇葩产品感到诧异，认为完全是价过其实。

"City'super is ridiculously expensive!! Jeeez! HKD168 for ONE strawberry! Bloody¹¹ hell!!" one person wrote.

有人称：“超生活简直贵得离谱！天啊！一个草莓要168港币！什么鬼！！”

"City super need public shaming… I don't shop there anyway… mostly since prices are criminal and so is their packaging," another commented.

还有人评论：“应该公开羞辱超生活……我不在那儿购物……主要是因为那里价格贵得可耻，产品包装也是。”

To be fair, if these photos had been taken in Japan, no one would have said anything. The "designer fruit" culture is still very strong there, with people spending hundreds of dollars on a rare apple, so they can offer it as a gift to someone they respect. Although, to be honest, I haven't seen individually-sold strawberries there, either. Even the rare ones usually come in a set of at least half a dozen.

公平地说，如果这些照片是在日本拍的，那么没有人会说什么。“名牌水果”文化在日本仍然很流行，人们会花费数百美元购买一个珍贵的苹果然后将其作为礼物送给所尊敬的人。但是，实话实说，我还没有在日本看到论颗卖的草莓。通常就算是极好的草莓至少也是一组6个出售。