HISTORY
Cherry tomatoes are believed to go as far back as Aztec Mexico in at least the 15th century CE. Records of Santorini cherry tomatoes being heavily cultivated in Greece can be found as far back as 1875, from seeds brought there by a monk in the early 1800s. Locals believe that the seeds were imported from somewhere in Egypt.
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.
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.
CULTIVATORS
The Santorini cherry tomato developed from seeds brought to Santorini (Greece) in 1818.It is known for its flavour and body. International conferences dedicated to the cultivation, horticulture and agriculture of the cherry tomato are also held at Santorini.
The tomaccio tomato was developed by several laboratories in israel, the dominant ones being those led by Professor Nahum Keindar and Professor Claim Rabinovitch from the Agriculture Faculty of the Hebru University of Jerusalem, Rehovot Campus. The Tomaccio is the result of a 12-year breeding program using wild Peruvian tomato species to create a sweet snack tomato with an improved ripening time and shelf life.
The Super Sweet 100 is a hybrid cultivar popular in the United States. It is resistant to both Fusarium and Verticillium wilt.
The Selke Biodynamic cherry tomato was named after Margrit Selke. Emil Bock, in his book The Three Years, wrote that the seed and plant of this unusual species contains forces evoking "the cosmic sphere of sunlit clouds, air and wind".
The tomaccio tomato was developed by several laboratories in israel, the dominant ones being those led by Professor Nahum Keindar and Professor Claim Rabinovitch from the Agriculture Faculty of the Hebru University of Jerusalem, Rehovot Campus. The Tomaccio is the result of a 12-year breeding program using wild Peruvian tomato species to create a sweet snack tomato with an improved ripening time and shelf life.
The Super Sweet 100 is a hybrid cultivar popular in the United States. It is resistant to both Fusarium and Verticillium wilt.
The Selke Biodynamic cherry tomato was named after Margrit Selke. Emil Bock, in his book The Three Years, wrote that the seed and plant of this unusual species contains forces evoking "the cosmic sphere of sunlit clouds, air and wind".
GEOGRAPHY
Cherry tomatoes are descendents of the wild tomato, whose origins can be traced to coastal South America millions of years ago. Archeological evidence suggests that the very first strains of Cherry tomatoes were cultivated by Mesoamerican farmers at least a thousand miles away in northern Central America. The genetic makeup of Cherry tomatoes, unlike larger common tomatoes has remained almost unchanged. Cherry tomatoes, are in fact, predecessors of large tomato cultivars, which happen to be a mutation of Cherry tomatoes. The first cultivated tomato fruits were small, the size of berries and their flesh originally housed only two seed cavities.