TOMATOES VS TOMAHTOES

I've always felt that some tomatoes were better than others, but, a new realization has dawned on me that there is a drastic tomato conspiracy going on. It all started with this... our first home grown tomato. 

We ate it with some good salt and olive oil, and it was pure heaven... like the essence of summer had been packed into every delicious bite, and I thought, "man, this is one tasty tomato!" I went on with my life, though, not really giving it another thought... until my aunt came to visit. 

It just so happened that we had a ripe tomato on the vine, and some heirloom tomatoes we had bought from the grocery store. When my aunt pulled out a bag of cherry tomatoes she had just picked up from a farmer's market, it was clear that a taste test would be required. We cut the tomatoes up and got out the olive oil with some finishing salts...

The home grown tomato is on the left, the heirloom from the store is on the right, and the cherries are in the back. The differences were shocking, and the decisions were easy... 

The cherry tomatoes were the best plain eating tomatoes. They had just the right amount of sweetness, but still had that distinct tomato"ness." Salt and oil were just a distraction on these, and actually made them taste worse. They're winners for needing nothing but themselves to be perfect.

The home grown was my favorite, but only with olive oil and salt on it... Don't get me wrong, it was great by itself, but not much of a match for the cherries. With the oil and salt, though, it was a whole different story. I really can't think of much else that would taste better, short of having two.

The store bought tomato was just sad. It was watery, and had no tomato soul. It was hardly a tomato at all... it was clearly a tomahto, and it made me scared for the fate of tomatoes as a whole. The farmers and grocery stores that sell these phonies should be ashamed, and should be required to label their fruits as tomahtoes to avoid any confusion.

This whole taste testing experience really got me thinking, and has opened my eyes to the underground world of real tomatoes. I am very interested in this all these tomatoes that I have been missing, and am looking forward to exploring all the new varieties that I can get my hands on...