End-of-year shopping series Off-market strawberries @ 900 Shiitake mushrooms @ 200 It feels like a mix of slightly expensive and really cheap items Strawberries aren't sweet this time of year Shiitake mushrooms were good, but I forgot to take a picture Are they a family-run business? The service is a bit relaxed Well, well, well (Hifumin?) (laughs) It's the end of the year, so they must be tired, right?

On July 30, 2017 (Sunday), after visiting the restaurant "Yan Shu Ryori Hokkaido no Gyoba" that I purchased, I stopped by "Hasegawa Seika". I was thinking of buying a souvenir that is typical of Hokkaido, and that's when I noticed Hasegawa Seika. The price of melons seemed cheaper compared to nearby stores. I felt like they were cheaper, but I am not an expert in judging melons. Prices can vary depending on taste, size, origin, growth conditions, and supply and demand balance. It seemed like this store only deals with melons that have received a rating of "excellent". Melons are graded as "excellent", "good", and "fair". The standard is 8 kg per box, and the fewer the number, the larger the melon, and the higher the price per piece. According to the salesperson, the larger melons are sweeter. However, since there are only a few people to eat, I decided to buy smaller and cheaper melons. The salesperson explained that if you buy melons in Furano, it would cost at least 3,000 yen per piece, but comparing the same melon would be difficult. Usually, the seller has overwhelmingly more information, putting the buyer at a disadvantage. If the buyer has little information, they often have to decide whether to believe the seller's words. At the very least, since this store is a fruit and vegetable store and handles a significantly larger volume, I decided to buy from here as it would be more cost-effective than buying from nearby souvenir shops. Later, I found out from another store that if you were to compare melons to the human body, "excellent" would mean having a high amount of flesh (muscle) and low amount of fat (skin), making it valuable (expensive). I completed the shipping procedure at the store and it arrived at my home on August 1. I like fully ripe melons, so I let it ripen. The attached instructions indicated that it would be best to eat around August 3 or 4. I ended up having it as dessert for dinner on August 7 (Monday). It was not fully ripe yet, so I felt it would be fine for another two days. I could only eat a quarter by myself, so I saved the rest for the following day. I don't eat melons often, so it's difficult to evaluate if it was delicious or more delicious, but it was a melon with enough sweetness that I could be satisfied with.

My sister in Sapporo sent me some asparagus. It's not just any asparagus, it's beyond ordinary asparagus. The one on the right is the usual asparagus you see, but this one is the equivalent of six regular asparagus! Each stalk is so thick and heavy. The stems are tender and juicy, and surprisingly sweet! They were delicious boiled, but grilling them was the best. They are incredibly sweet and juicy with a crunchy texture. It was my first time seeing asparagus this big, and the taste was also new to me. It was really delicious. It seems like it could be the star of the dish! I want to eat it again. Thank you for the meal.