MR TOMATO

Is this guy in danger of becoming extinct?

It has a variational spheric external body, carries colours from definitive red to translucent white, and its divergent size includes the Beefsteak variety to the Cherry. I shall relieve you of further anxiety in your quest for an answer, for I am describing the food that qualifies as a fruit, the relatively common tomato. I say common, as it is not so familiar at the moment.  

I am sure we have all heard of and consumed a tomato. So how does this chap Mr Tomato[1] get into our mouths, and what does he taste like to me?  

At some point in time before on-line-shopping and there were plenty of tomatoes in our supermarkets, I went grocery shopping inside a supermarket. Imagine, I used to walk in and find items that attracted my fancy by sight and aroma. This might include persuasive advertising positioned purposely to influence my buying potential as a naive customer. As I approach the fresh fruit and vegetable section, one cannot miss the red breed of tomato. With its luscious, inviting coloured skin, it is an innocently naturally coloured advertiser’s dream.

I picked up Mr Tomato and tossed him into my trolley. But hey, where did he come from? His travels have been quite extensive. Looking at Mr Tomato’s passport, I see he is from Tommasi, Province of Vicenza, Italy. Tommasi is 964 miles from my house. This guy has had quite a journey, and I must treat him with more respect. I quickly made him more comfortable in my trolley as he was almost to his final destination, my mouth.

Before I begin my review of eating Mr Tomato, for legal reasons, I would like to point out that Mr Tomato is a fruit and not a real person; therefore, I am not guilty of cannibalism.

I was going in for the kill. I let him sit for a moment on the counter top. He looked radiant and tempting. I picked him up and took a bite. As I broke through his skin, it tore jaggedly, but the eruption of soft liquid beneath his outer flesh was refreshing. He tasted natural, earthy, healthy and sweet with tiny little seeds that were almost insignificant to the moment. He was one tasty, exciting dude and a welcome break from some of his colleagues, who can be so dull. They tend to be good-looking on the outside but not much going on, on the inside. Mr Tomato, thankfully, was great looking and delicious, both externally and internally.

I have a new respect for the tomato, especially those from Tommasi, Italy. I hope all of Mr Tomato’s family are as delectable as my experience. I highly recommend you try them but responsibly remind you to give them the esteem they deserve. After all, they have travelled a long way for your trifling consumption. 

One hopes Mr Tomato returns to our palates in abundance shortly.

(1) For this story, Mr Tomato identifies as a man.