How I’m quietly navigating America’s soaring grocery prices without crying at the $400 melons
A bit of nous never goes astray as food costs skyrocket in the US
As Monocle’s Tokyo bureau chief recently noted, no one should be surprised about exquisite fruit costing premium prices. In the Hamptons, some melons are selling for $400 (€349) and trays of mushrooms are a hallucinatory $17 (€14). While this has shocked some of those who have read about it in clickbait headlines, I am unmoved. I’ve been living in the vicinity of Washington for two years and nothing about prices in the US shocks me anymore – least of all berries imported from Japan.
I look back with nostalgia on a day soon after my arrival, when I approached a stall at a farmers’ market with an onion in hand, only to be told: “That will be $5, please.” Then there was the small baguette that my young son had commandeered as a sword at a local bakery, which I sheepishly put back on the shelf upon learning that it cost $9 (€7). And I can’t forget the $69 (€60) quiche that I assumed would feed a gathering of 12, only to open the box and stare at a ham-and-cheese tart the size of my outstretched hand (no doubt pleading for its $69 back).
The cost of living across the US has soared in recent years, with consumer prices on average 24 per cent higher than they were in 2020. Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election came, at least in part, on the back of promises to make life more affordable. But costs remain stubbornly high. Inflation is at 2.7 per cent and economists worry that Trump’s tariffs will only augment that figure.
But the quest to eat decent food also fosters creativity and camaraderie. I have learned to make my own bread. I have a small but thriving herb garden. And at every social gathering, no matter the earning powers of its attendees, we share conspiratorial tips about where to snag the best deals.
A group of us have even banded together to purchase fresh and affordable produce delivered from an Amish co-operative in Pennsylvania. A supermarket cashier recently lavished praise on me for shaving $56 (€49) off a shop using points and coupons. I felt a warm glow of pride. Perhaps I’ve finally made it in America.
Read next: Our Tokyo bureau chief’s dive into Japan’s exquisite premium fruit bowl
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