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New tiger tomato debuts in Britain


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The tiger tomato has just made its formal debut at Marks & Spencer stores in Britain. The tomatoes are small, about the size of cherry tomatoes, but have dark red flesh accented with green stripes. Apparently, there is a growing demand for "novelty produce" to the point where farmers in the Isle of Wight are frantically working to develop new types of tomatoes. One of the next to hit the shelves will be the "strawmato," said to be very sweet and designed to pair with melted chocolate.

Has anyone tried these new types of tomatoes yet? :huh:

The idea mentioned, the "strawmato": appetizing or off-putting to you? :rolleyes:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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The tiger tomato has just made its formal debut at Marks & Spencer stores in Britain. The tomatoes are small, about the size of cherry tomatoes, but have dark red flesh accented with green stripes. Apparently, there is a growing demand for "novelty produce" to the point where farmers in the Isle of Wight are frantically working to develop new types of tomatoes. One of the next to hit the shelves will be the "strawmato," said to be very sweet and designed to pair with melted chocolate.

Has anyone tried these new types of tomatoes yet? :huh:

The idea mentioned, the "strawmato": appetizing or off-putting to you? :rolleyes:

The idea of the "strawmato" is interesting. I'm pretty sure strawberries and tomatoes are actually related, so I guess it's not that far off. In fact, I had some tomatoes last summer that tasted surprisingly strawberry-y.

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more on the strawmato

and yet a bit more on this strawmato ...

"People are getting more adventurous and want to try different varieties of tomato. They want tomatoes that look unusual and exciting to put in the salad bowl. The strawberry tomato looks fantastic and it also has a great taste - it can be eaten on its own or in salad,"  It remains to be seen whether consumers will take to the small, sweet tomatoes. Visitors to a gathering of the tomato trade in Sicily who were offered them last week, dipped them in melted chocolate!

:wink: Frankenfood, no?

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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more on the strawmato

and yet a bit more on this strawmato ...

"People are getting more adventurous and want to try different varieties of tomato. They want tomatoes that look unusual and exciting to put in the salad bowl. The strawberry tomato looks fantastic and it also has a great taste - it can be eaten on its own or in salad,"  It remains to be seen whether consumers will take to the small, sweet tomatoes. Visitors to a gathering of the tomato trade in Sicily who were offered them last week, dipped them in melted chocolate!

:wink: Frankenfood, no?

"Experts say the new tomato is so tasty is can be eaten in salads, as a snack on its own...."

I'd like to meet one of these experts while stamping on their throats screaming "Why does everything have to be about fucking marketing you gormless pricks, there have been excellent tomato breeds avalible for tens of decades, don'tcha think we know this"

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I think, on the balance, this is a great thing: I'm happy seeing breeding programs for something other than shelf life and size although there are occasionally the inevitable "misses". And I definitely don't think it's Frankenfood (a term I usually limit to transgenic organisms),

Martin Mallet

<i>Poor but not starving student</i>

www.malletoyster.com

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"Experts say the new tomato is so tasty is can be eaten in salads, as a snack on its own...."

I'd like to meet one of these experts while stamping on their throats screaming "Why does everything have to be about fucking marketing you gormless pricks, there have been excellent tomato breeds avalible for tens of decades, don'tcha think we know this"

Marketing is our friend.

Otherwise consumers might not know what to do with these dear little tomatoes, so pretty in trifle or maybe strung on a necklace.

What gets me is that there are so, so many heirloom tomatoes. This "new" type of tomato looks like a miniaturized version of striped varieties at my farmers's market (Striped Germans, green and yellow, red and green, pale and dark green....). Ho hum.

Still, many shoppers would prefer to buy bright red hydroponic types in February than risk tasting something ripe, warm in the sun at the market in July, because it looks a little strange.

Novelty seems to work better on chips and candy bars than it does on produce. Maybe these tomatoes are the new Smarties?

"Viciousness in the kitchen.

The potatoes hiss." --Sylvia Plath

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Potentially, similar to the situation with "Anya" potatoes in the UK. They are a desiree x pink fir apple cross, while they resemble that latter and are a good product, there are inferior in flavour and texture to the parent.

However, Anya was developed in 1985, while the PFA was developed prior to 1850, so I guess there could be other practical issues involved, like disease resistance, yield, storage etc.

Still you have to hate the marketing speak, 'a tomato so tasty it can be eaten in a salad' for God's sake.

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Thomson and Morgan have three seperate tomatos in their catalogue each of which is claimed as "The Sweetest Tomato in the World or Your Money Back!!

Tomato Tomaccio™

http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/6092/1

Tomato Tomazing™

http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/list/full-index/t

and Sungold (same claim on the packet)

I pointed this out to them, when I ordered both, and they sent one free!

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"Experts say the new tomato is so tasty is can be eaten in salads, as a snack on its own...."

And what I want to know is, why shouldn't every tomato be like this? That is just what a tomato should be. No more, no less.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

Virginia Woolf

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"Experts say the new tomato is so tasty is can be eaten in salads, as a snack on its own...."

And what I want to know is, why shouldn't every tomato be like this? That is just what a tomato should be. No more, no less.

Heh, when I was reading that, I was thinking... "But, thats how my tomatos ALREADY taste!".

PS: I am a guy.

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"But, thats how my tomatos ALREADY taste!".

but perhaps there are some people who don't want their tomatoes to be so sweet ... and want a more pronounced tomatoey taste ... :rolleyes:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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And what I want to know is, why shouldn't every tomato be like this? That is just what a tomato should be. No more, no less.

Because there are many varieties of tomato, and therefore texture and flavour varies enormously. By necessity rather than preference, in Hong Kong I used to buy a commonly available type that was firm and somewhat sour. Mainly because of the texture and lack of juice, it was a waste of time eaten raw as a snack or in salads. It wasn't good for tomato sauce. But stir fried it was excellent, so it was appropriate for the local market. All tomatoes should have good flavour, but they can't be all things to all people all the time.

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