In late spring, local strawberries ripen and perfume the fields in some lucky areas. It’s that same alluring scent that wafts from a package of a Japanese breed of strawberries now growing year-round in a vertical indoor farm in New Jersey. Called Omakase strawberries, the Oishii brand berries make up for their lack of intense deep scarlet color with a penetrating aroma and a burst of juicy flavor that certainly outshines any others on the market now. They are prized by high-end restaurants; for tables at home they come at a jewel-like price, around $5 each, individually cradled in boxes of three ($15), six ($29) or eight ($50). Eli’s Manhattan, Eli’s Market in Grand Central Market and Olmsted in Brooklyn are among the places that sell them.
Oishii Omakase strawberries, oishii.com.
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