The cherry tomato is a type of small round tomato believed to be an intermediate genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up to the size of a

golf ball A golf ball is a special ball designed to be used in the game of golf. Under the rules of golf, a golf ball has a mass no more than , has a diameter not less than , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits. Like g ...

, and can range from

spherical A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the ce ...

to slightly oblong in shape. Although usually red, other colours such as orange, yellow, green, purple, and black also exist. Those shaped like an oblong share characteristics with

plum tomato A plum tomato, also known as a processing tomato or paste tomato, is a type of tomato bred for sauce and packing purposes. It is generally oval or cylindrical in shape, with significantly fewer locules (seed compartments, usually only two) than ...

es and are known as ''

grape tomato A grape tomato is a class of tomatoes believed to be of southeast Asian origin, shaped similarly to the oval plum tomatoes but having the small size and sweetness of cherry tomato The cherry tomato is a type of small round tomato believed ...

es''. The cherry tomato is regarded as a botanical variety of the cultivated berry, ''Solanum lycopersicum'' var. ''cerasiforme''. In supermarkets, cherry tomatoes of different colors are often sold together with the phrase "mixed melody" in the name, indicating the great variance in their colors.

History

The cherry tomato is believed to be the direct ancestor of modern cultivated tomatoes and is the only wild tomato found outside South America. The tomato is thought to have been first domesticated in the Puebla-Veracruz area of Mexico and to have reached this area from South America in the form of a weedy cherry tomato. The first direct reference to the cherry tomato appears in 1623, in a work called (English: ''Illustrated exposition of plants'') by Swiss botanist

Caspar Bauhin Gaspard Bauhin or Caspar Bauhin ( la, Casparus Bauhinus; 17 January 1560 – 5 December 1624), was a Swiss botanist whose ''Pinax theatri botanici'' (1623) described thousands of plants and classified them in a manner that draws comparisons to t ...

, which contains descriptions and classifications of approximately six thousand species. In a section on "Solanum" (nightshades), Bauhin wrote of a variety called , which translates to "

hat is A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

full of clusters acemosum in the form (shape) of cherries". Cherry tomatoes have been popular in the United States since at least 1919. Recipes using cherry tomatoes can be found in articles dating back to 1967.

Cultivars

The

Tomaccio Tomaccio tomatoes resulted from a 12-year breeding program using a wild Peruvian tomato species. The program was developed bHishtilin Israel. Tomaccio is a vigorous, high yielding, early fruiting cherry tomato bred primarily for the sun-dried t ...

tomato was developed by Nahum Kedar and Chaim Rabinovitch of the

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

Faculty of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

on its

Rehovot Rehovot ( he, רְחוֹבוֹת ''Rəḥōvōt'', ar, رحوڤوت ''Reḥūfūt'') is a city in the Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of . Etymology Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu movement, ...

Campus. It is the result of a 12-year breeding program using wild

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

vian tomato species to create a sweet snack tomato with improved ripening time and shelf life. The Super Sweet 100 is a hybrid cultivar popular in the United States and resistant to both

Fusarium ''Fusarium'' is a large genus of filamentous fungi, part of a group often referred to as hyphomycetes, widely distributed in soil and associated with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes, and are relatively abundant members of the soil mi ...

and

Verticillium wilt Verticillium wilt is a wilt disease affecting over 350 species of eudicot plants. It is caused by six species of ''Verticillium'' fungi: ''V. dahliae'', ''V. albo-atrum'', ''V. longisporum'', ''V. nubilum'', ''V. theobromae'' and ''V. tricor ...

. The Selke Biodynamic cherry tomato is named after Margrit Selke. The indeterminate hybrid sungold cherry tomato is known for its vigorous early-yielding plants and colorful orange fruits.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry Tomato Hybrid tomato cultivars Miniature versions of vegetables Fruits originating in North America Crops originating from North America Italian cuisine

Trivia

*Cherry tomato and Better Boy are now better two tomatoes. de:Kirschtomate nah:Tomatl

History

Cultivars

See also

References

External links

Trivia