INGREDIENT OF THE MONTH
Whether nibbled on raw or thrown in to salads, for years now an alluringly bright colour followed by a deliciously tangy zing has made the cherry tomato a favourite snack of the conscious foodie. It is hard to believe that this garden variety of the tomato was once feared and thought to be a wild poisonous species! But as with most foods, once the Italians began exploring the possibilities of this fruit, (yes fruit) the rest soon followed. Slowly the Solanum lycopersicum cerasiforme began being referred to as pomi d’oro or the golden apple by the Italians; pomme d’amour or the love apple by the French, and finally cherry tomato by the world.
Merry cherry tasting: Max Orlati, food connoisseur and head chef of Mumbai’s buzzing Olive Bar and Kitchen hails from Italy, a land where these berries grow in abundance in the wild. Due to its unique “sweet” flavour, that they bring to foods, the cherry tomato has been infused in preparations of toppings, sauces and even jams.
Chef’s recommendation: Mozzarella cheese stuffed with cherry tomatoes. An uplifting little snack.