Tree Tomato: A Exotic fruit of Nilgiri Hill Region at South India

I traveled South India 4 times in my life. When I landed at Kodaikanal (in Tamilnadu, India) first time in my life (October 2008), I saw this strange fruit selling at road side with even stranger name of "Anticancer fruit". I even asked why was it called Anticancer but the guy selling it just said that it was the name of the fruit. I suspected a Anticancer activity connection but then forgot to explore more. Today I did a search and realized that it is actually called "Tree Tomato" and it is a native of America.

Ripe tree tomatoes appear in a variety of gorgeous colors from yellow to red to deep mauve. Dark stripes adorn some tamarillos as well. Only unripe tamarillos, however, are green and unyielding to the touch. When ripe, tamarillos remain firm but give slightly when pinched. The skin is glossy and velvety like a tomato’s when ready for consumption. Smell the fruits: Like tomatoes, the best tamarillos have a fragrant, spicy aroma. Overripe tamarillos lose their luster, appear wrinkled and disheveled, and taste overly sour and fermented.

The tough skin is edible, but not appetizing. Tamarillo flesh tastes similar to cape gooseberries: sharp in its acidity, sweet, and bearing resemblance to tomatoes. The flavor is also mildly resinous with a subtle metallic aftertaste, and the fruit varies in its astringency. The vibrancy of the fruit’s flavor is reminiscent of passion fruit’s, with others noting hints of peach and orange. The seeds are a bit bitter, but perfectly edible with no negative impact on the overall taste. Tree tomatoes have an agreeable texture similar to tomatoes, but often less watery and pulpier. 

Some cannot eat too many raw tamarillos due to the fruit’s high acidity. If seeking a milder flavor, opt for the yellow fruits over the darker-fleshed variants.

After coming back to home I studied thoroughly about these strange fruits and I found some informations:

Origin of Tree Tomato

Tree tomatoes originate in South America, most likely in the Peruvian Andes. Some speculate that the Incas subsided on tree tomatoes along with the other known staples of potato and corn. Other distinct locations of origin are Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. It wasn’t long before Central American countries began growing tamarillos, and the fruit is still widespread throughout Costa Rica and Guatemala. The tree tomato’s migration continued east to the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. 

Explorers brought seeds to India in the late 1800s, where they grew throughout hillsides relatively unknown. Not long after their introduction to Sri Lanka and Nepal, missionaries from India brought tamarillo seeds to New Zealand circa 1890. Unsurprisingly, Australia received tree tomatoes around the same time. 

Availability of Tree Tomato in India

Tree tomatoes grow in the hilly regions of West Bengal and Maharashtra, including Assam, Uttaranchal, Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh. These fruits can be found on a limited basis throughout the country. The South’s exposure to the fruit comes from its production in the Nilgiri hills, as this is one of the only areas cool enough to sustain the crop. Tamarillos are a subtropical fruit, growing between 1,000 to 7,500 feet elevations in India.

These fruits aren’t difficult to grow, but they ripen unevenly on the tree. The constant pruning makes them one of the more laborious fruits for farmers to grow, though the tree’s lifespan of up to 10 years compensates for this drawback. 

Where to find Tamarillo in India

The only parts of the globe that produce this fruit on a large scale are South America and New Zealand. Tree tomatoes are not a popular fruit in India, thus making them difficult—but not impossible to find. They appear sporadically when in season between May through October.  Those that purchase them for retail sale charge fairly low prices, making them a good buy for those wanting to try this egg-shaped fruit. 

Nutritional Value of Tree Tomato

According to the book, “Nutritive Value of Indian Foods,” tree tomatoes contain the following values per 100g of fruit:

Moisture: 86.2g

Protein: 1.5g

Fat: .2g

Minerals: 1.2g

Fiber: 4.2g

Carbohydrates: 6.7g

Kcal: 35

Calcium: 12mg

Phosphorous: 46mg

Iron 1.0mg

Carotene: 324ug

Thiamine: .11mg

Riboflavin: .06mg

Niacin: 2.1mg

Magnesium: 34

Sodium: 1.7

Potassium: 539

Copper: .17

Health Benefits of Tree Tomato

Tree tomatoes contain high levels of vitamin A, imperative for boosting eyesight, maintaining skin health, and supporting ideal red blood cell levels. The fruit’s high vitamin C content assists the body with immunity, bone health, and wound repair. 

According to the World Agro Forestry Centre, tamarillos have medicinal benefits long enjoyed in South America: in Ecuador, warmed leaves wrapped around the neck treat a sore throat. To treat inflamed tonsils, Colombians make a poultice by cooking the fruit pulp in embers.  Jamaicans refer to tree tomatoes as “vegetable mercury” based on their belief of its curative properties to the liver. 

--A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows proteins in tree tomatoes have an antimutagenic effect. The proteins reduced oxidative damage and inhibited uric acid formation. (thats why its called anticancer fruit at South India)

--A 2010 report, Bioactive Non-Nutrient Components in Indigenous African Vegetables, suggests tree tomatoes as a natural remedy for anemia.

--The National Institutes of Health found tree tomatoes have high levels of anthocyanins, which protect the body from diabetes, symptoms of aging, certain cancers, and neurological diseases.

--Tree tomatoes also contain lycopene, a compound that wards off degenerative diseases, boosts heart health, and aids the skin’s ability to withstand UV radiation. 

I visited South India 2nd time  (October 2011) and I purchased 35pis  fruits for my home from Munner. Now I am  doing research on it.....   ....Hope you will also visitSouth India and taste it and you been experienced or will experience by a similar. Do share your experiences with me.