Is a spicy tomato coming to the market?
If you thought things couldn’t get any better after honey tomatoes: think again. Researchers want to bring a new kind of tomato to life through genetic engineering. Now let’s hope that spicy tomato hits the market very soon.
One of the tastiest vegetables on earth is undergoing a small transformation through complex DNA modifications, if it’s up to Brazilian and Irish researchers. They are working on a report explaining why we should produce these spicy tomatoes, reports Esquire. As far as we’re concerned, there’s no reason not to do it.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the compound that makes peppers hot. Tomatoes aren’t spicy, but their genes do contain capsaicin. By growing the tomatoes using a specific technique, researchers can ensure that this particular gene is expressed in tomatoes, making them spicy.
Pain-relieving tomato
The researchers’ idea is initially intended for medical purposes, says author Agustin Zsögön of Universidade Federal de Viçosa Brazil. The fiery tomato could help people with joint inflammation, sprains and back problems. The painkillers normally used for these conditions are packed with capsaicin. So spicy tomatoes are good news not only for our taste buds, but also for the medical industry.
Spice spice, baby
Never again a truckload of red chili peppers in the pasta bolognese to prevent a bland sauce. Never again a standard tomato soup, never again a salad covered in heaps of pepper and salt. Just think of all the benefits: life would be so much better with a spicy tomato in the supermarket.
