Cover From savoury cocktails to herbaceous soap and hyper-realistic desserts, the tomato is having its moment. Here is how to enjoy every last drop.
From savoury cocktails to herbaceous soap and hyper-realistic desserts, the tomato is having its moment. Here is how to enjoy every last drop.
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From savoury cocktails to soothing skincare and hyper-realistic desserts, the tomato has never been more exciting
Tomatoes are everywhere right now. Not just on our plates, but in our glasses, our skincare and even our desserts. The fruit has become the unexpected star of the season.
And honestly? I could not be happier about it.
I have a confession: I am completely and utterly in love with the tomato. Not those pale, tasteless impostors that haunt supermarkets in February. Those are a crime against nature. I’m talking about sun-warmed, vine-ripened orbs that arrive with summer and make everything else seem dull in comparison.
Here’s the thing: tomatoes are extraordinary. Sweet and acidic at once. Juicy but meaty. Botanically, they are berries—cousins to kiwis and bananas, though they taste nothing like either. They belong to the nightshade family, alongside potatoes, peppers and aubergines, which explains their slightly mysterious character.
Did you know there are over ten thousand varieties? From explosive cherry tomatoes to dense beefsteaks, from deep crimson San Marzanos to golden Brandywines, the tomato is a universe unto itself. They also contain more than four hundred volatile compounds, which is why a good tomato tastes like sunshine and a bad one tastes like regret.
So yes, the tomato is everywhere this summer. In my cocktails, my soap and my cake. And I am not complaining. I am celebrating. Keep reading for how you can join me.
Cold tomato somen noodles
When the temperature climbs and the thought of turning on the stove feels like a personal attack, this dish is your salvation. The sauce is a savoury broth made from grated tomatoes, beef stock, mushroom soy sauce, sesame oil and perilla oil, all chilled until deeply flavourful. The noodles are silky and refreshing, topped with cherry tomatoes, fragrant perilla leaves, kimchi and pickled garlic. It is cool, bright and gloriously savoury, and probably the most refreshing thing you will eat all summer.
Malin+Goetz tomato collection
Above The tomato soap, inspired by San Marzano tomatoes, is a fresh, herbaceous way to wash your hands
Above The hand cream also offers notes of basil, mint, green ivy, tomato, mandarin and cedarwood
The tomato soap, inspired by San Marzano tomatoes, is a fresh, herbaceous way to wash your hands
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Malin+Goetz’s tomato collection, inspired by San Marzano tomato leaves clipped from a master perfumer’s garden in France, has expanded with two new hand care essentials, on top of the already popular tomato candle and home spray.
The tomato soap creates a rich lather with odour-neutralising technology to eliminate lingering smells, while tomato seed oil provides antioxidant nourishment. The tomato hand cream is a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula packed with shea butter and vitamin complex to hydrate.
Fresh, herbaceous and utterly addictive, with notes of basil, mint, green ivy, tomato, mandarin and cedarwood. Because even your hands deserves to smell like summer.
LPM Tomatini (and Tomati-No)
Above The Tomatini is a mix of tomatoes, vodka, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and syrup
The Tomatini is a mix of tomatoes, vodka, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and syrup
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Not everything needs to be new to be worth celebrating. La Petite Maison’s Tomatini has been a cult favourite since 2010, and for good reason. It is muddled tomatoes, vodka, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a splash of syrup, all shaken into something that tastes exactly like the French Riviera in a glass. Bright, savoury and unexpectedly light, it has single-handedly converted me to the church of the tomato cocktail. It is so beloved, in fact, that it has its own global celebration day in November. For those skipping the booze, the Tomati-No version is just as delightful.
Staub tomato cocotte
Above The Staub tomato cocotte is a cast-iron pot shaped like a Brandywine tomato, finished in glossy grenadine red
The Staub tomato cocotte is a cast-iron pot shaped like a Brandywine tomato, finished in glossy grenadine red
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I have seen a lot of beautiful cookware in my time, but this one made me stop and stare. Staub has created a cast-iron pot shaped like a tomato. A perfect, plump Brandywine, and it is the most charming thing I have ever wanted to spend a small fortune on. It is the kind of object that makes you want to spend a lazy Sunday coaxing a slow-cooked stew into existence, just so you can carry it from oven to table like a proud parent. Do I need it? Absolutely not. Do I need it? Yes, with every fibre of my being.
Nudake tomato dessert
Above A tomato dessert, with clear jelly made from fresh strawberries and tomato, looks like the real thing
A tomato dessert, with clear jelly made from fresh strawberries and tomato, looks like the real thing
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Nudake, the conceptual dessert brand created by South Korean eyewear company Gentle Monster, is known for turning pastries into edible art. Their tomato dessert looks exactly like the real thing: plump, glossy and almost too perfect to eat. But cut into it, and you will find a soft, clear jelly made from fresh strawberries and tomato, finished with cilantro and lime for bright, tropical notes.
See also: 8 themed cafés in Seoul to visit
Marzipan heirloom tomato cake
Above This vanilla chiffon cake is topped with hand-crafted marzipan heirloom tomatoes (Photo: Instagram / @thegeminibake)
This vanilla chiffon cake is topped with hand-crafted marzipan heirloom tomatoes (Photo: Instagram / @thegeminibake)
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The internet, as it so often does, has taken this idea and run with it. An entire ecosystem of tomato-inspired cakes has bloomed across social media. Samantha Raye (@thegeminibake) in New York, for example, has done the same, creating a vanilla chiffon cake filled with tangy passionfruit curd and swirled with Italian meringue buttercream, but with the cutest marzipan heirloom tomatoes perched on top, hand-crafted to look like the real thing. Each one is a miniature work of art, painted in shades of red, orange and yellow, complete with delicate green tops.
Tomato-flavoured sweets
Above Crown MyChew Stick Tomato and Yum’z Bites Tomato Candy are the sweets of the season
Crown MyChew Stick Tomato and Yum’z Bites Tomato Candy are the sweets of the season
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The tomato has even made its way into confectionery. Yum’z Bites offers Tomato Candy, a chewy, sweet and surprisingly moreish treat. Then there is Crown MyChew Stick Tomato, the brand’s first vegetable flavour in 20 years, a chewy tomato sweet that sold out in many stores across Korea and is perfect for popping into your bag for a midday tomato hit.
A storyteller by day and a first-class food devourer by night, Fontaine is the Regional Dining Editor at Tatler Asia, overseeing dining content across all regions and shaping the brand’s editorial voice on food, chefs and culinary culture.
She is also Content Lead for Tatler Best and Co-jury Head for Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau, guiding the awards’ editorial direction and evaluation process. With over a decade in the lifestyle and media industry spanning London and Hong Kong, she brings a cross-regional perspective to the table.
Follow her on Instagram at @fontimes.
