Vegetable, which costs Rs 40 in India, is sold at over Rs 7,000 in USA: ‘More expensive than…’

An Indian man got the shock of his life when he saw the price tag attached to a common Indian veggie at an American supermarket. Taking to Instagram, influencer Ashish Ahuja revealed he came across a packet of spicy, crispy-fried bhendi (okra) at the supermarket, being sold at an $6.5 (Rs 600) for just 85 grammes. He further worked out that purchasing a full kilogram of the snack would amount to a staggering Rs 7,250, highlighting an extraordinary price difference. The figure stood in stark contrast to its affordability in India, where okra is widely regarded as an inexpensive household vegetable and is commonly prepared as a regular daily sabzi.

He then explained that the price hike came from the fact that instead of being sold raw, the bhindi is being fried and baked and sold like a healthy snack. He joked how bhindi, an everyday food in India, was more expensive than a packet of Lays chips (which was priced at $ 2.50)

"More expensive than Lays… "That's okra charging you a personality tax. Nobody told bhindi it could do this,” he joked.

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In India, a kilo of bhindi would typically cost anything from Rs 30- Rs 70.

The video, which garnered more than 248,000 views and over 3,500 likes and many viewers were shocked at how everyday vegetables in India become more expensive in America. Many of these items are marketed as premium products in the United States, making them much more pricier than the market rates for such vegetables in India.