Vegetables
High-sugar tomato
フルーツトマト ふるーつとまと
At its best in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Dec
When it is at its best
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
In seasonAvailable
How to cook
Eaten fresh
Chilled and eaten whole, or cut into wedges. As sweet as fruit.
Salad
With salt and olive oil alone, which brings the sweetness forward.
Chilled soup
Sieved and chilled, for a deep sweetness against the acidity.
Dessert
Steeped in syrup, and treated as fruit.
How to choose
Small but heavy in the hand, deep red, with a lively calyx.
Storage
Room temperature or refrigerated. Chilling just before eating lifts the sweetness.
Main areas
Good to know
Not a variety but a method. Water is held back severely, which raises the sugar content above eight degrees. Brands include Amela from Shizuoka and Nagano and Tokutani from Kochi. Where ordinary tomatoes peak in summer, these are at their sweetest from winter into spring.
