What are “heirloom tomatoes”?
Sunday Farmer’s Market And Family Dinner Prep
A2 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know a little
Heirloom tomatoes are tomato varieties grown from seeds that have been saved and passed down for at least 50 years, before commercial hybrids took over in the 1950s. They come in many colors (deep purple, golden yellow, striped green), odd shapes, and intense flavors. Famous heirloom names include Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, and Mortgage Lifter. Supermarket Roma and beefsteak tomatoes are bred for shelf life and uniform shape; heirlooms are bred for taste. Americans buy them at farmer’s markets in late summer, when they’re at their best.
In this clip, a shopper picks one out: “I want one of these heirloom tomatoes. This one.”
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In American farmer’s markets in late August and September
- ▸In American food TV (Ina Garten, Alison Roman, Smitten Kitchen)
- ▸In American gardening content about saving seeds (Seed Savers Exchange)
- ▸In American restaurant menus during tomato season
- ▸In American food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine)