Noticed Some Strangely Coloured Tomatoes In Your Supermarket Recently? Meet The Kumato…

What is it?

Kumato (also known as Olmeca, or the catchy name SX387), a new type of tomato breed because, evidently, we don’t like fruits and vegetables their original colour anymore... Kumatos are usually brown, but can be dark green too, and are edible no matter what their colour.

Why haven’t I heard of it until now?

Kumatos were first cultivated in the 1970s in coastal Almeria in southeast Spain, but it was only patented in 2006. Its cultivation is tightly controlled by the patent owners so only a handful of growers are able to produce it, but it’s dark colour and more intense flavour are winning over food aficionados everywhere.

Is it good for me?

Don’t worry, this isn’t some crazy addictive tomacco-like hybrid (which was really created following the Simpsons episode, by-the-by). Kumatos are just the same as normal tomatoes with a slightly higher fructose content.

How much will it cost?

You can buy a bag of kumato in Marks and Spencer (at least in the UK) now for less than €5: still expensive enough for a bag of tomatoes though.

What does it taste like?

Kumatos taste very like, well, tomatoes. The main difference is that they are a little bit sweeter, but the flavour is also a little more ‘intense’. Also, they’re perfectly fine to eat at different stages in the ripening process, with each stage producing a slightly different flavour: green and brown for clean crisp salads, and dark reds for rich cooking.