A kilogram package of tea leaves from the central part of Japan was sold on Monday for 1.96 million yen (about $15.5 thousand), which was an absolute record for the entire time of such auctions. They are held annually in April in the city of Shizuoka, in the area where the country's best tea plantations are located, according to the Kyodo news agency.

Connoisseurs after tasting noted that green tea bought at a record price has a unique intense taste and aroma, and a particularly deep color. On Monday, at auctions in Shizuoka, tea from the new crop was sold for an average of 5,000 yen (about $40) per 1 kg.

Japan is known for auctions of agricultural products, which often set price records. So, in July last year, at an auction in the city of Kanazawa, a bunch of grapes of the rare Pima Ruby variety was sold for almost $13,000.