Tomatoes

The tomatoes in Israel are unlike any I have tried before. Maybe it's because I just didn't pay that close attention in my earlier adventures, maybe they are completely new varieties. Regardless, the variety of flavors and textures that we were exposed to at a green house / hydroponic farm near the boarder of Lebanon were just awesome.

Let's try this tiger tomato for example:

*crunch*

Mmmmmm the skin was relatively tough compared to the yellow pair shaped ones, the ovular orange ones, and the bright red ones. It was not as sweet but it punched a really powerful vine flavor which gave it al almost spicy effect.

The greatest part is that this variety was not only present on the farms but in all of the markets. Tomatoes are clearly a central ingredient to many dishes here. I wonder if the appreciation for this fruit stems from historically having a large variety of tomatoes or if this large variety exists because there is already a cultural appreciation for fruits and vegetables.