Many are the lamentations of the fresh tomato fan: Supermarket tomatoes are bland, too big, flat in scent and regrettable in mouthfeel. And yet the future grocer could hawk a tastier tomato, argued a new scientific dive into the genetics of tomato flavor. They had a consumer panel evaluate the taste of 160 tomato samples, reflecting more than 100 varieties. “The selection for big fruit and against sugar is dramatic in the modern varieties,” Klee told the Smithsonian magazine. The horticultural researchers concluded that following such a genetic “road map” could restore tomatoes to their rightful flavor.

Source: Washington Post January 27, 2017 11:58 UTC