Tomato Tasting Etiquette!!

Worth1 · July 14, 2011

All tomatoes taste more or less one of three ways to me, sour/tart, sweet and bland.
After all of the different tomatoes you guys try I never here of anyone cleansing their pallet.

In wine it is bread and you spit the wine out you never drink it.
Coffee you suck the fluid in and try to vaporize/atomize the liquid.

What would one do with a a tomato?
At the SETTFEST event I saw folks running around tasting this tomato and that tomato with no regard to a clean pallet between them.

I think we need to set up some tomato snob rules for tasting at these events so we can weed out the commoners from the more sophisticated of the crowd.

In this way we have yet another tool so we can pick who we converse with and more importantly who our children play with.

I would never let a child of mine associate with another child that was brought up on store bought tomatoes, much less one that didn't know how the taste one.

Lets have a go at it and see what we can come up with.
It is due time we did this.

Worth

**Lee** · July 14, 2011

At Tomatopalooza[tm] we've used cucumber slices as palette cleansers.

Mudman · July 14, 2011

You could easily get rid of that tomato taste in your mouth by using a store bought tomato.

huntoften · July 14, 2011

Do we have to eat them with our pinkies extended?

kath · July 14, 2011

I think I notice a wider range of tastes than the ones you mention, Worth, but it would be hard for me to describe them...maybe later in the season after I'm (hopefully) able to taste more than the 4 varieties that have ripened so far. Taste is important, but texture is also a big part of the tomato experience for me. Mushy is a deal breaker, thick skins are never good unless they can be peeled off easily while the fruit is still raw, seeds that are too big or too plentiful are also not acceptable,...

Well, as you can see I'm crazy fussy so my tomato tastings take place in private, at the kitchen sink with a glass of water next to me. Yes, there's a lot of spitting involved.

I always just use water as a palate cleanser unless the taste is particularly nasty or lingering, and then I'll just have a bit of a favorite, like Sungold or whatever other fave is ripe at the time. (Perhaps I've just relegated myself to "commoner" status!) Cucumbers sound like a good idea, though, as long as it's not a bitter variety because then I'd just need more water...and sorry, Mudman, but store tomatoes just defeat the purpose. Anyway, when testing different fruits that are first deemed at least "ok", I keep retasting them against the available faves until the winner(s) can be determined and ranked in order.

So the only way I could attend a public tasting event is if the etiquette allowed spitting in a cup or something like a personal spittoon; also grimacing should be ok, as well as sticking out one's tongue and eating with fingers, not forks. Since children love spitting, making faces and eating with their hands, it makes sense to allow those things. It seems to me that at the very least bottles of spring water, bread, bacon and mayo, a variety of salts and vinaigrettes should be available for those who need any of those to determine what's the best tomato for them...and maybe some kind of dip for the children- they love to dip things while eating things with their hands. I think it's important for the etiquette to permit easy training of the children in the art of proper tomato tasting, so I'd vote for extended pinkies being optional. Maybe my whole outlook isn't snobby enough but that's my two cents.

Mudman · July 14, 2011

I don't care if it clears the palate or not- I'm with Kath, a slice of bacon after every tomato.

Worth1 · July 14, 2011

I think the only salt allowed at the event should be Fleur de sel.

Worth

DiggingDogFarm · July 14, 2011

I like a fresh sprig of parsley as a palate cleanser.

~Dig

DiggingDogFarm · July 14, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mudman

......a slice of bacon after every tomato.

And with every tomato! LOL

~Dig

Zana · July 14, 2011

Do we supply bibs as well to catch any drippings - be they tomato juices, mayo, bacon or crumbs?

Seriously like the idea of cucumbers as a palate cleanser. Last year at the BNWNY TT I nibbled on bread between tastes...that is until my bread ran out (I only brought so much that was gluten free...sighh.....note to self to bring more next time!).

I overheard some lady raving about the tomatoes in the supermarket the other day. Considering they all looked the same and tasted like cardboard (they were offering tasting of a "new variety" to the store. So out of curiousity I had to see what she was raving about - backtracking to try the samples. Worst bit of cardboard crud I've tried in ages. She actually asked me if I agreed! All I could say was I'm glad she was so pleased with it....and went on my way. So in the vein mentioned above should I have showed total distain or tried to educate her palate? Sighhhhh....have a feeling the latter would've been almost impossible....and I reckon I'd have a hard time with the former. Hmmmmmmmm.....tomato snobbery is such hard work.

Zana

JerryL · July 14, 2011

We've been known to use various palate cleansers at our CHOPTAG Taste Fests. Not the least of which is Earl's Pulled Pork.

kath · July 14, 2011

[QUOTE=Zana;223649] Do we supply bibs as well to catch any drippings - be they tomato juices, mayo, bacon or crumbs? [QUOTE]

Bibs, yes, absolutely!

Quote:

So in the vein mentioned above should I have showed total distain or tried to educate her palate?

Praise for supermarket tomatoes?!

Disdain, for sure- the latter would be impossible.

Hey, maybe I'm getting the hang of the snobbery thing already.

Tom C zone 4/5 · July 14, 2011

Tomato Tasting Ettiquette

1, Don't try to put all the tomatoes on your plate (they won't fit), just go back for seconds.

2, More tomatoes should not leak off your chin, than go in your pie-hole. Take smaller bites.

3, If you think salt will be forbidden at your tasting, bring your own.

4, Of course bacon is the preffered item to cleanse your pallette between tomatoes.

5, Don't forget to fill out the judging notes.

6, Keep a sharp eye out for ringers, stupormarket tomatoes have no place at tomato judgings.

camochef · July 15, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I think the only salt allowed at the event should be Fleur de sel.

Worth

Worth,
Having spent years writing tomato taste tests, I have over 35 different salts I use, including Fleur De Sel and other gourmet salts including Australian Murray River, Bolivian Rose, Peruvian Pink, Salish-Aldersmoked, HiWa Kai-black lava salt, Hawaiian Red Alaea,and of course Deep Pink Himalayan, which is "the purest salt on earth"-this primordial sea salt was created 250 million years ago during a time of environmental integrity...deep from within the remote Himalayas, it is free of impurities unlike table salt or sea salt from our polluted oceans. It says so right on the label!
It also says good until 12/20/12 right on the bottom???
I have a regular routine for tasting.
First plain, then with a pink salt, then with a garlic salt like California Garlic & Sea Salt, then with Zatarain's Creole Seasoning and finally with Good Seasons Garlic Herb Seasoning using White Balsamic Vinegar and Grapeseed oil. In between each tasting I swish with cold water with a splash of lime juice.
The grapeseed oil and White Balsamic vinegars are new this year, replacing high quality extra virgin olive oil and cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Enjoy!
Camo

DiggingDogFarm · July 15, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by camochef

It also says good until 12/20/12 right on the bottom???

LOL!!!!!

DDF

July 14, 2011	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Tomato Tasting Etiquette!! All tomatoes taste more or less one of three ways to me, sour/tart, sweet and bland. After all of the different tomatoes you guys try I never here of anyone cleansing their pallet. In wine it is bread and you spit the wine out you never drink it. Coffee you suck the fluid in and try to vaporize/atomize the liquid. What would one do with a a tomato? At the SETTFEST event I saw folks running around tasting this tomato and that tomato with no regard to a clean pallet between them. I think we need to set up some tomato snob rules for tasting at these events so we can weed out the commoners from the more sophisticated of the crowd. In this way we have yet another tool so we can pick who we converse with and more importantly who our children play with. I would never let a child of mine associate with another child that was brought up on store bought tomatoes, much less one that didn't know how the taste one. Lets have a go at it and see what we can come up with. It is due time we did this. Worth

July 14, 2011	#2
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	At Tomatopalooza[tm] we've used cucumber slices as palette cleansers. __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

July 14, 2011	#3
Mudman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NW Wisconsin Posts: 910	You could easily get rid of that tomato taste in your mouth by using a store bought tomato. __________________ Mike

July 14, 2011	#4
huntoften Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas CIty Posts: 560	Do we have to eat them with our pinkies extended? __________________ Kansas City, Missouri Zone 5b/6a

July 14, 2011	#5
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I think I notice a wider range of tastes than the ones you mention, Worth, but it would be hard for me to describe them...maybe later in the season after I'm (hopefully) able to taste more than the 4 varieties that have ripened so far. Taste is important, but texture is also a big part of the tomato experience for me. Mushy is a deal breaker, thick skins are never good unless they can be peeled off easily while the fruit is still raw, seeds that are too big or too plentiful are also not acceptable,... Well, as you can see I'm crazy fussy so my tomato tastings take place in private, at the kitchen sink with a glass of water next to me. Yes, there's a lot of spitting involved. I always just use water as a palate cleanser unless the taste is particularly nasty or lingering, and then I'll just have a bit of a favorite, like Sungold or whatever other fave is ripe at the time. (Perhaps I've just relegated myself to "commoner" status!) Cucumbers sound like a good idea, though, as long as it's not a bitter variety because then I'd just need more water...and sorry, Mudman, but store tomatoes just defeat the purpose. Anyway, when testing different fruits that are first deemed at least "ok", I keep retasting them against the available faves until the winner(s) can be determined and ranked in order. So the only way I could attend a public tasting event is if the etiquette allowed spitting in a cup or something like a personal spittoon; also grimacing should be ok, as well as sticking out one's tongue and eating with fingers, not forks. Since children love spitting, making faces and eating with their hands, it makes sense to allow those things. It seems to me that at the very least bottles of spring water, bread, bacon and mayo, a variety of salts and vinaigrettes should be available for those who need any of those to determine what's the best tomato for them...and maybe some kind of dip for the children- they love to dip things while eating things with their hands. I think it's important for the etiquette to permit easy training of the children in the art of proper tomato tasting, so I'd vote for extended pinkies being optional. Maybe my whole outlook isn't snobby enough but that's my two cents. Last edited by kath; July 14, 2011 at 04:26 PM.

July 14, 2011	#8
DiggingDogFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New York State Posts: 286	I like a fresh sprig of parsley as a palate cleanser. ~Dig __________________ "The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can shoot and trap out of it!"

July 14, 2011	#10
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Do we supply bibs as well to catch any drippings - be they tomato juices, mayo, bacon or crumbs? Seriously like the idea of cucumbers as a palate cleanser. Last year at the BNWNY TT I nibbled on bread between tastes...that is until my bread ran out (I only brought so much that was gluten free...sighh.....note to self to bring more next time!). I overheard some lady raving about the tomatoes in the supermarket the other day. Considering they all looked the same and tasted like cardboard (they were offering tasting of a "new variety" to the store. So out of curiousity I had to see what she was raving about - backtracking to try the samples. Worst bit of cardboard crud I've tried in ages. She actually asked me if I agreed! All I could say was I'm glad she was so pleased with it....and went on my way. So in the vein mentioned above should I have showed total distain or tried to educate her palate? Sighhhhh....have a feeling the latter would've been almost impossible....and I reckon I'd have a hard time with the former. Hmmmmmmmm.....tomato snobbery is such hard work. Zana

July 14, 2011	#13
Tom C zone 4/5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: SE Ohio Posts: 253	Tomato Tasting Ettiquette 1, Don't try to put all the tomatoes on your plate (they won't fit), just go back for seconds. 2, More tomatoes should not leak off your chin, than go in your pie-hole. Take smaller bites. 3, If you think salt will be forbidden at your tasting, bring your own. 4, Of course bacon is the preffered item to cleanse your pallette between tomatoes. 5, Don't forget to fill out the judging notes. 6, Keep a sharp eye out for ringers, stupormarket tomatoes have no place at tomato judgings. __________________ Beyond the mountains, there are more mountains.