Black Tomato

What Is Black Tomato?

Black tomato is a heirloom tomato variety (Solanum lycopersicum) with skin in dark brown-purple tones and flesh in a mixed red-green color. Many dark-skinned variants marketed under different names (e.g. Kumato-like varieties) fall into this group.

It gets its color from a pigment called anthocyanin, which makes it visually distinctive compared to other tomatoes. Its acid ratio is lower than standard red tomatoes, so its taste is perceived as sweeter and fuller.

Nutritional Values of Black Tomato

100 grams of raw black tomato contains about 18 kcal of energy, 3.9 g of carbohydrate, and 1.2 g of fiber; like standard tomatoes, it's rich in vitamin C, and its dark skin also carries antioxidant pigment. Values are approximate.

How Should Black Tomato Be Consumed?

Black tomato can be considered part of a balanced diet as a low-calorie source of vitamin C; it shows its best taste raw, sliced.

This information is general; black tomato is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.

How to Choose Black Tomato?

A good black tomato has skin in dark brown-purple tones, a weight that fills the hand, and gives slightly under light pressure. Overly hard (unripe) ones or ones with rotten spots should not be preferred.

• Skin should be dark brown-purple toned and taut
• Should have a hand-filling weight
• Should give slightly under light pressure, without rotten spots

How to Store Black Tomato?

Black tomato is stored at room temperature in a cool place for a few days; fridge cold dulls its taste and texture. A ripe tomato can be kept briefly in the fridge.

Using Black Tomato in the Kitchen

Black tomato is mostly used in raw salads, as sliced table tomato, and in colorful tomato platters; thanks to its low acidity, it pairs well with cheese.

Are Black Tomato and Kumato the Same?

Kumato is a registered commercial brand of dark-skinned tomatoes; "black tomato" is the general name for varieties with this appearance. Kumato is one of the known examples of the black tomato group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is black tomato this color?

The anthocyanin pigment in its skin mixes with the red of standard tomatoes and the green of chlorophyll to create a dark brown-purple appearance.

Is black tomato ripe or rotten?

The color is a natural variety feature, not rot; ripeness is understood from skin firmness and slight give, not from color.

What does black tomato taste like?

It has a less acidic and sweeter-fuller taste compared to standard red tomato.