Scientists say there's something wrong with the smell of tomatoes

Most tomatoes we eat today are too large, too hard, and lacking in flavor and aroma compared to those of half a century ago, according to new research. In a paper published in the journal Science, a team of scientists reported that many tomato varieties lack key components that give them their aroma and flavor. The team, led by Professor of Horticultural Science Harry J. Klee, analyzed the genetic code of nearly 400 tomato varieties. It's important to know that three factors are responsible for the aroma and taste of vegetables: sugar for their sweetness, acids for their sourness, and dozens of volatile chemical compounds responsible for their odor. Unlike other vegetables and fruits, tomatoes don't have a single compound that allows us to identify them by their scent. As many as 25 volatile chemical compounds are responsible for the tomato's aroma. Without them, the vegetable is flavorless and aromaless. Researchers have noted that modern tomato varieties are large and firm, but stripped of many aromatic compounds, stripping them of their characteristic aroma. Deprived of one compound in one variety, and deprived of another aromatic substance in another, they quickly trigger an avalanche that results in tasteless and odorless vegetables.