Waxberries grown in Xianju county, Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

The lofty price tag of Dongkui waxberries exported from China to Dubai have been the subject of much discussion on Chinese social media recently.

Produced in Xianju county, Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, this famous variety of the fruit is often dubbed the "King of Waxberries" because of its strong flavor and large size. A Dongkui waxberry usually weighs two to three times that of an ordinary waxberry, and can cost as much as 200 yuan ($30.77) or more per kilogram in China.

Those being exported to Dubai, however, cost a whopping 60 yuan each.

Five hundred kilograms of Dongkui waxberries were loaded onto a plane at Shanghai Pudong International Airport before being flown to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on June 15.

Waxberry planting in Xianju dates back more than 1,000 years ago. The county has 19 varieties of waxberry, among which six are ancient species.

More than 13,000 ancient waxberry trees that are more than 100 years old, including 108 that are more than 500 years old and 28 that are more than 1,000 years old, can be found in Xianju.

Xianju's temperature varies wildly from day to night due to its high altitude and proximity to the sea. By virtue of its favorable weather and soil conditions, waxberries grown in Xianju are considered sweeter and juicier than those from other parts of China.

Waxberries are widely used as an ingredient in dishes or wine in the county. One of the most common dishes in Xianju is pork ribs or chicken stewed with waxberries.                                             

A dish cooked with pork ribs and waxberries as its main ingredients in Xianju county, Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]