Franken-tomato
Flavor Is the Price of Tomatoes’ Scarlet Hue, Study Finds
A gene mutation that makes a tomato uniformly red also stifles genes that contribute to its taste, researchers say
[VV note: Tomatoes we grow in our backyard and those we buy at the Mankato Farmer's Market are NOT tasteless. Rather, they are rich, succulent, and oh-so-decadent. So decide: REAL tomatoes that have taste? Or Franken-tomatoes that travel well, don't deteriorate quickly, look terrific ... but lack in flavor. Your choice!]
By GINA KOLATA, NYT
Published: June 28, 2012
Plant geneticists say they have discovered an answer to a near universal question: Why are tomatoes usually so tasteless?
Yes, they are often picked green and shipped long distances. Often they are refrigerated, which destroys their flavor and texture. But now researchers have discovered a genetic reason that diminishes a tomato’s flavor even if the fruit is picked ripe and coddled.
The unexpected culprit is a gene mutation that occurred by chance and was discovered by tomato breeders. It was deliberately bred into almost all tomatoes because it conferred an advantage: It made them a uniform luscious scarlet when ripe.
Now, in a paper published in the journal Science, researchers report that the very gene that was inactivated by that mutation plays an important role in producing the sugar and aromas that are the essence of a fragrant, flavorful tomato. And these findings provide a road map for plant breeders to make better-tasting, evenly red tomatoes.
(More here.)
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| S. Zhong and J. Giovannoni |
A gene mutation that makes a tomato uniformly red also stifles genes that contribute to its taste, researchers say
[VV note: Tomatoes we grow in our backyard and those we buy at the Mankato Farmer's Market are NOT tasteless. Rather, they are rich, succulent, and oh-so-decadent. So decide: REAL tomatoes that have taste? Or Franken-tomatoes that travel well, don't deteriorate quickly, look terrific ... but lack in flavor. Your choice!]
By GINA KOLATA, NYT
Published: June 28, 2012
Plant geneticists say they have discovered an answer to a near universal question: Why are tomatoes usually so tasteless?
Yes, they are often picked green and shipped long distances. Often they are refrigerated, which destroys their flavor and texture. But now researchers have discovered a genetic reason that diminishes a tomato’s flavor even if the fruit is picked ripe and coddled.
The unexpected culprit is a gene mutation that occurred by chance and was discovered by tomato breeders. It was deliberately bred into almost all tomatoes because it conferred an advantage: It made them a uniform luscious scarlet when ripe.
Now, in a paper published in the journal Science, researchers report that the very gene that was inactivated by that mutation plays an important role in producing the sugar and aromas that are the essence of a fragrant, flavorful tomato. And these findings provide a road map for plant breeders to make better-tasting, evenly red tomatoes.
(More here.)
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