Tree Tomato | Tamarillo - Tyammatar in Nepali

Tree Tomato - Tyammatar

The tamarillo is a small tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Solanaceae (the nightshade family). It is best known as the species that bears the tamarillo, an egg-shaped edible fruit.

1. Are tree tomatoes good for you?
2. What does a tree tomato taste like?
3. How do you eat tree tomatoes?
4. How long does tree tomato take to mature?
5. Can you eat the skin of a tamarillo?
6. Is tomato is good for skin?
7. What do you do with tree tomatoes?
8. How do you eat Tamarillo raw?
9. Is there such a thing as a tomato tree?
10. Can you eat Tamarillos raw?
11. How do you eat Tamarillo red?
12. What are Tamarillos good for?

About

Tyammatar is the Nepali name for "tree tomato" or "tamarillo," an attractive plum shaped fruit with meaty pulp and seeds.  It has a tough, bitter skin and is very tart, but flavorful when ripe.  Despite its appearance, it is not a true garden tomato although it resembles a medium-size pear tomato.  It is generally considered a native to the Andes of Peru, Chile, Ecuador, but also is grown in New Zealand, Australia and Asia.

 

Images of tree tomato - Botanical name of this fruit is Cyphomamdra betacea (Source: An introduction to Nepalese Food Plants).

In Nepal, the ripe Tyammatar is used primarily to make chutney, similar to Nepali tomato chutney.  To prepare chutney, the fruit is first roasted or boiled, the outer skin is removed and the pulp and seeds are seasoned with herb and spices. 

Selecting some ripe and flavorful tyammatar at Nepali vegetable markets.  There are many varieties of of tree tomato, comes in different size, shape, and color. Tyammatar is grown in the home garden, mostly in the central hilly regions of Nepal.  It is not very common in Tarai regions.  Photo taken at the roadside stall near Indra Chok area, the oldest market place in Kathmandu.

Note: Juicy, sweet and citric, Tree-tomato is a small oval-shaped fruit. Also known as Tamarillo tree tomatoes are thought to have originated in the semitropical high Altitude.