Researchers from China's Institute of Agriculture say they've have found methods to improve the quality and taste of tomatoes by cracking and re-editing their genetic¹ code.

 

中国农科院的研究人员表示，他们已经通过破解重组番茄基因组找到提高番茄质量与口感的方法。

 

The idea comes amid growing complaints about a growing blandness² in the taste of tomatoes in China, which is one of the most popular vegetables (even though its technically³ classified as a fruit) in the country.

 

Scientists have explained that certain genes⁴ that decide the flavor of tomatoes are being pushed aside during the breeding process. 

 

Tomatoes, native to South America, were introduced into China sometime during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE). Tomatoes have since become one of the most widely grown vegetable varieties in China, famed for its abundant crops and rich nutrition. 

 

In China, tomatoes are mostly eaten raw, which makes flavor a major concern for those who love tomatoes. 

 

"The tomatoes we are eating now are the result of long-time domestication⁵ of the wild Currant Tomato. Wild tomatoes often weigh just one or two grams. However, artificial breeding has seen the weight of their domestically-grown ancestors become 100-times heavier," said Huang Wensan, a senior researcher with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science. 

 

Huang added that modern breeding has put an emphasis on output and appearance, leading to varieties becoming less flavorful.

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