A tomato is more than it seems; it represents taste, access and even identity. Rare heirlooms like Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra now symbolize cultural fluency, appearing in high-end dining and curated feeds. Their rise fuels the cult of the perfect tomato, showing how a summer produce can reflect deeper values and shifting food identities.
k7:8FC6 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\:>286 D:K6\=2C86Qmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@\`_acIf_c];A8Q 2=ElQp H9@=6 E@>2E@ H:E9 H2E6C 5C@A=6ED 2?5 EH@ E@>2E@ H6586D[ 2== @? 2 H9:E6 324<8C@F?5U>52D9j2? @56 E@ E96 4F=E @7 E96 A6C764E E@>2E@]Q 4=2DDlQHA\:>286\a`cgh`Q DC4D6ElQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@\`_acIf_c];A8 `_acH[ 9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@\b__Ia_e];A8 b__H[ 9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@\fegIdag];A8 fegH[ 9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@\`d_I`_b];A8 `d_H[ 9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@];A8 `a__HQ D:K6DlQW>2I\H:5E9i `_acAIX `__GH[ `_acAIQ 52E2\A:?\>65:2lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ad^_f^E@>2E@];A8Q ^mk7:842AE:@? 4=2DDlQHA\6=6>6?E\42AE:@?Qm!9@E@ 4C65:Ei s6A@D:EA9@E@D]k^7:842AE:@?mk^7:8FC6m
kAm%96 6>6C86?46 @7 E@>2E@6D 7C@> A2?ECJ DE2A=6 E@ 4F=EFC2= 2CE:724E >:CC@CD D9:7E:?8 4@?DF>6C AC:@C:E:6D[ E96 A@AF=2C:EJ @7 7@@5 DE@CJE6==:?8 2?5 8C@H:?8 5:DECFDE :? :?5FDEC:2= 28C:4F=EFC6] w6C6’D 9@H 96:C=@@>D 4@>6 :? ?@E ;FDE 2D :?8C65:6?ED[ 3FE 2D DJ>3@=D @7 6G6CJE9:?8 E9:D 4F=EFC2= D9:7E C6AC6D6?ED]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm(9J 7=2G@C H:?Dk^9am
kAmp>6C:42?D’ E@>2E@ 4@?DF>AE:@? :D 6IA64E65 E@ 9:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C6A@CE=:?<6C]4@>^4=A^4@F?ECJ^cgcfhf^faeafdQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm`_]c >:==:@? >6EC:4 E@?Dk^2m 3J a_ae[ C67=64E:?8 2 DEC@?8 ?2E:@?2= 2AA6E:E6 7@C E9:D DE2A=6 7CF:E] *6E 56DA:E6 E9:D 56>2?5[ >@DE DFA6C>2C<6E G2C:6E:6D 2C6 3C65 H:E9 5FC23:=:EJ[ D:K6 2?5 D9:AA:?8 :? >:?5[ ?@E 7=2G@C] (9:=6 >2?J @7 E96D6 >2DD\AC@5F465 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^9@H\E@\7C66K6\E@>2E@6D^QmE@>2E@6Dk^2m >2J =@@< 7=2H=6DD[ E96J =24< E96 DH66E[ 24:5:4 4@>A=6I:EJ E92E 567:?6D A62<\D62D@? 96:C=@@>D 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@ D6E E96> 2A2CE]k^Am
kAm%96 492?86 364@>6D 4=62C 2D 96:C=@@> E@>2E@6D 2C6 =625:?8 E9:D 7@@5:6 C6G@=FE:@?[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 >@C6 E92? ;FDE 7=2G@C] ~7E6? 567:?65 2D G2C:6E:6D A2DD65 5@H? E9C@F89 86?6C2E:@?D[ 96:C=@@> E@>2E@6D 2C6 EJA:42==J @A6?\A@==:?2E65 G2C:6E:6D E:65 E@ DA64:7:4 C68:@?D[ E9@F89 E96J =24< 2?J @77:4:2= 3@E2?:42= 4=2DD:7:42E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96:C 8C@H:?8 56>2?5 D9@HD 9@H 7@@5 :D :?4C62D:?8=J FD65 E@ 6IAC6DD C68:@?2= AC:56[ A6CD@?2= :56?E:EJ 2?5 4F=EFC2= G2=F6D] pD 96:C=@@>D 364@>6 DJ>3@=D @7 5:G6CD:EJ 2E E96 E23=6[ EC2:ED =:<6 286[ @A6? A@==:?2E:@? @C 86@8C2A9:4 E:6D @?=J DEC6?8E96? E96:C C@=6 2D 2? 6G@=G:?8 DE2EFD @7 DF>>6C AC@5F46]k^Am
kAm%92E DJ>3@=:D> 6IE6?5D E@ E96 7:6=5 2D H6==] “w6:C=@@>D ;FDE E2DE6 36EE6C] *@F 42? F?56C=:?6 E92E :? E96 2CE:4=6[” D2:5 y@? w6?CJ[ @H?6C @7 y@? w6?CJ v6?6C2= $E@C6 :? }6H |2C<6E[ :? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]5?C@?=:?6]4@>^?6HD^=:76DEJ=6^9@>602?5082C56?^96:C=@@>\E@>2E@6D\;FDE\E2DE6\36EE6C^2CE:4=60d7a7g``e\fhg6\dd4c\ggh`\aba_56cd6ehc]9E>=Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQms2:=J }6HD\#64@C5k^2m] pE 9:D 72>:=J 72C>9@FD6[ w6?CJ 8C@HD >@C6 E92? `__ E@>2E@ A=2?ED C6AC6D6?E:?8 2C@F?5 ad 5:DE:?4E 96:C=@@> G2C:6E:6D[ 6G:56?46 @7 E96 H:56DAC625 2AA62= @7 96:C=@@> G2C:6E:6D =:<6 qC2?5JH:?6 2?5 q=24< r96CCJ[ <?@H? 7@C E96:C C:49 7=2G@C AC@7:=6D 2?5 5:DE:?4E:G6 =@@<D]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm%@>2E@ 2D DF>>6C 7=6Ik^9am
kAmpE DF>>6C >2C<6ED[ E@>2E@6D >2<6 26DE96E:4 564=2C2E:@?D[ 6DA64:2==J H96? G:DF2= :>A24E 42? 3@@DE 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 D2=6D] w6:C=@@>D 4@>>2?5 2EE6?E:@? H:E9 E96:C :CC68F=2C D92A6D 2?5 D2EFC2E65 4@=@FCD] $9@AA6CD DE@A E@ A9@E@8C2A9 5:DA=2JD =:<6 E96J’C6 2CE :?DE2==2E:@?D[ 2?5 E96 3:886C[ H6:C56C 2?5 >@C6 G:G:5=J >2C3=65 E96 E@>2E@[ E96 >@C6 3FKK :E 4C62E6D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E@>2E@76DE]4@>^w6:C=@@>0%@>2E@6D0%@A0`_0D^`c_]9E>Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm>@DE 72G@C:E6 G2C:6E:6D 7@C a_adk^2m :?4=F56 r96C@<66 r9@4@=2E6[ <?@H? 7@C :ED 5FD<J[ 3C:4<\C65 D<:? 3CFD965 H:E9 3C@H?:D9\AFCA=6 D9@F=56CD 2?5 2 C:49[ 62CE9J 7=2G@Cj p>2?2 ~C2?86[ 2 962GJ AC@5F46C H:E9 >2DD:G6 8@=56? 7CF:EDj 2?5 q=24< r96CCJ[ 2 D>2==[ 52C< E@>2E@ H:E9 566A 3FC8F?5J D<:? 2?5 2? :?E6?D6[ DH66E 7=2G@C E92E A@AD :? 6G6CJ 3:E6] %96D6 DE2?5@FE G2C:6E:6D D6CG6 2D G:DF2= 46?E6CA:646D E92E 9:89=:89E E96 96:C=@@> E@>2E@’D C@=6 2D 2 D62D@?2= D9@HDE@AA6C]k^Am
kAm!2CE @7 E96 C:D6 @7 96:C=@@>D 4@>6D 7C@> 7@@5 >65:2[ H9:49 A=2JD 2 <6J C@=6 :? D92A:?8 9@H 96:C=@@> E@>2E@6D 2C6 A6C46:G65] r967D C68F=2C=J DA@E=:89E 96:C=@@>D @? D62D@?2= >6?FD E@ D9@H42D6 C68:@?2= :?8C65:6?ED 2?5 5:DE:?4E 7=2G@C AC@7:=6D[ H9:=6 >65:2 A=2E7@C>D EFC? E96> :?E@ D@4:2= 4FCC6?4J] %9:D 26DE96E:4 2?5 4F=:?2CJ 7C2>:?8 46>6?ED E96 E@>2E@’D EC2?D7@C>2E:@? 7C@> 2 A2?ECJ DE2A=6 E@ 2 DJ>3@= @7 :?E6?E:@?2= 62E:?8[ 2=:8?:?8 A6C764E=J H:E9 E96 :562 @7 DF>>6C AC@5F46 2D 2 DF3E=6 DE2EFD >2C<6C]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm#:A6 7@C C67=64E:@?k^9am
kAm$@[ H96C6 5@6D E9:D =62G6 E96 9F>3=6 E@>2E@n xE’D ?@H 2 42?G2D 7@C 4F=EFC2= 6IAC6DD:@?[ D2G@C65 ?@E ;FDE 7@C 9@H :E E2DE6D[ 3FE 7@C H92E :E C6AC6D6?ED] uC@> 324<J2C5 82C56?D 2?5 >2C<6E DE2==D E@ E96 8=@DDJ A286D @7 7@@5 >65:2[ 96:C=@@>D 42CCJ >62?:?8 2D >F49 2D 7=2G@C] u@C 2?J@?6 A2J:?8 2EE6?E:@?[ E96 4F=E @7 E96 A6C764E E@>2E@ :D 2 E6==:?8 D?2AD9@E @7 9@H H6 G2=F6 7@@5[ :56?E:EJ 2?5 E96 D62D@?D E96>D6=G6D]k^Am
kAm+FK2?2 !22C :D E96 G:D:@?2CJ 369:?5 7:G6 :?DA:C:?8 H63D:E6Di p>2K:?8 %C2G6= {:76[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]=@H42C3\?@42C3]4@>^Qm{@H r2C3 }@ r2C3k^2m[ q6DE r=62? t2E:?8[ %:?J q2E49 r@@<:?8 2?5 $FDE2:?23=6 {:76 x562] pD 2 4@?E6?E 4C62E@C[ C64:A6 56G6=@A6C[ 3=@886C 2?5 A9@E@8C2A96C[ +FK2?2 D92C6D 96C 5:G6CD6 D<:==D E9C@F89 3C62E9E2<:?8 EC2G6= 25G6?EFC6D[ 962=E9J C64:A6D 2?5 64@\7C:6?5=J =:G:?8 E:AD] w6C H@C< :?DA:C6D C6256CD E@ =:G6 E96:C 36DE[ 962=E9:6DE 2?5 >@DE DFDE2:?23=6 =:G6D]k^Am
kAm%96 A@DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^E96\A6C764E\E@>2E@^Qm%96 4F=E @7 E96 A6C764E E@>2E@i w@H 2 DF>>6C AC@5F46 3642>6 2 DE2EFD DJ>3@=k^2m 2AA62C65 7:CDE @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>Qmu@@5 sC:?< {:76k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us.