Feb. 27 (UPI) -- A piece of pricey produce is causing controversy on social media after an influencer posted a TikTok video where she taste-tested a single strawberry with a $19 price tag.
The strawberry, which comes from company Elly Amai and is sold at Los Angeles-area luxury grocery chain Erewhon, carries a $19 price for a single fruit.
The big-budget berry became the source of online discourse when influencer Alyssa Antoci, whose aunt and uncle own the grocery chain, posted a video to TikTok.
"OK, this is a $19 strawberry from Erewhon, so we're gonna eat it," Antoci says in the video. "Apparently it's like the best-tasting strawberry in the entire world."
The influencer declares the snack to be the "best strawberry I've ever had in my life."
The video quickly racked up millions of views, and garnered multiple comments and response videos from fellow influencers describing the $19 strawberry as "dystopian," "a new low" and a potential "social experiment to see what some people will spend on."
The controversy even led late night host Jimmy Kimmel and guest Mindy Kaling to sample the strawberries on Wednesday night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Antoci said she was surprised by the response to her video.
"Honestly, I wasn't even gonna post the video in the first place," she told Today.com. "I had no idea it would have the reach that it did."
Representatives from Elly Amai and Erewhon explained the strawberry's price tag is a result of the fruit originating from japan's Tochigi Prefecture, which is sometimes called the "Strawberry Kingdom" due to its signature export.
"The strawberries are picked at their prime and hits the shelves at Erewhon within 24-48 hrs," an Erewhon representative told TODAY.com. "Faster than broccoli growing in [California] getting to markets in [New York]."
An Elly Amai spokesperson added the strawberries have a very short shelf life.
"If you think logistics-wise, getting it here and being able to try it fresh from Japan, it's very understandable why the price is what it is," the spokesperson said. "Don't hate on it until you try it."
