“Any summer resident will become a millionaire”: Russians were amazed by the prices for dried fruits

Tangerine peels for almost 20 thousand per kilo – this is not the limit

Last weekend, the Internet was excited by a circulated photo of a bag of dried tangerine peels (candied fruits) weighing 50 grams and costing 980 rubles, sold in one of the capital’s chain stores. And the cry of the consumers of all Rus’ immediately ascended to the heavens: they say, what is this and what is this money for?! A wave of jokes swept across social networks: people offered to sell potato peelings or, for example, seed husks – and also at exorbitant prices.

The counter selling dried and dried fruits and berries is far from the most popular in the supermarket, but its assortment arouses genuine interest among customers.

– Look, here they sell dried apples for 150 rubles. And the bag is so small,” a middle-aged woman says thoughtfully to her companion. – Do you remember how many of these apples my mother dried at the dacha? I would be rich!

“Yes, and dried raspberries for 700 rubles are also impressive,” he answers. — In general, any summer resident here can become a millionaire.

Tangerine peels for 980 rubles, the main characters of recent days, did not seem to make an impression on this couple: maybe they just didn’t notice? Although here you don’t even need to be a summer resident – any Russian after the New Year holidays can pick up a couple of handfuls of tangerine skins and dry them. It seems that everything is simple. At first sight.

Question: “Why is it so expensive?” – of course, rhetorical. Firstly, we should not forget: we still live in the era of capitalism – which means that every seller has the right to ask for as much money as he sees fit for his goods. Secondly, focusing on prices in expensive premium supermarkets – and the provocative photo was taken in one of these – is at least strange.

For comparison, on marketplaces, freeze-dried fruits from the same company – not only tangerine zest, but also lemons, oranges, peaches, pears or raspberries – are sold for 300-400 rubles for the same 50 grams. It seems to be at a discount, but at “full price” (at which marketplaces never sell, of course) they threaten the same 800-1000. Everything seems clear: an expensive Italian company, and even sold in an expensive supermarket. And why should we be surprised at the prices?

The supermarket is really expensive. Dried orange rings here cost 198 rubles for a small box weighing 40 grams. Well, apple chips – those same dried apple slices – cost 150 rubles for 25 grams. It’s also clearly overpriced: it’s clear that the cost of this apple is about ten times lower.

A natural question that everyone who discusses this news asks each other is, is it really not possible to just peel the tangerines and dry the peels, why pay almost a thousand?

Well, not every tangerine peel is suitable for turning into candied fruit. And the variety can matter, and the drying technology – a certain temperature, the addition of preservatives and much more. In Asia, for example, tangerine peels are considered a real delicacy and are valued much more than the pulp of the fruit. Of course, not some sort of cleaning, but smooth skins. They take a long time to prepare, some take years to dry. The longer the aging period, the more valuable the peel. More valuable – in the literal sense: for example, in Vietnam, as experienced travelers say, a kilogram of crusts costs about 16,000 rubles (in local currency). Simple arithmetic: that means 1,600 rubles per hundred grams—it all adds up! In China it’s even more expensive: a kilogram of tangerine peels costs about $200. The zest is used for tea, baking, home fragrances and even plant fertilizers.

But even if we assume that anyone can dry tangerine peels, their availability for sale would not be a paradox. There are enough examples around us of how people willingly overpay for products that someone else has prepared especially for them in advance. For example, carrot sticks are a popular snack, and the price of a small portion reaches 100 rubles. And what? It’s as if it’s difficult to buy carrots, wash them, peel them and cut them into neat cubes! How much more profitable it will be! Or apple slices – exactly the same story. Some stores have been selling boiled eggs for a long time – of course, one and a half times more expensive than raw ones. Also popular are pre-cooked and even peeled potatoes and beets (they are also called “vinaigrette kit”) – although it would seem that cooking and peeling vegetables is not so difficult and time-consuming. So there is nothing to be surprised here – the readiness and desire to overpay for your convenience has always been and will always be. And tangerine peels are really convenient. Sometimes you want to make mulled wine, but the crusts are already there, waiting in the cupboard. Don’t run for tangerines every time.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29224 dated February 27, 2024

Newspaper headline:
If you want to be rich – sushi crusts