Syngenta is launching what it claims to be the world’s first Mini Kumato tomatoes into 50 Marks & Spencer stores today.
The variety, which has been in development for 10 years, originates from a ‘lost’ wild tomato and has been cross-bred by Syngenta specifically for UK tastes.
It can be eaten at all stages of the ripening process, challenging the popular British view that ripe tomatoes must be red.
The product, grown in Lancashire, starts out as a dark green fruit with a mild, clean taste for slicing, then becomes a dark brown skin with a sweet spicy aroma ideal for salads and sandwiches, before becoming dark red, with juiciness and round sweet notes best for cooking.
Dr Ian Puddephat, Syngenta sensory scientist, helped develop the Mini Kumato. He said: “While continental Europeans and Americans have eaten multi-coloured tomatoes for years, British consumers have traditionally only bought red. Our research reveals that the British palette has now ‘ripened’ and the UK shopper is ready to try new things.
“Our Mini Kumato is a multi-coloured intense taste sensation that will challenge the British misconception that only ‘red’ tomatoes are ripe, tasty and ready to eat.”
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