Protected local food
Kumamoto Shio Tomato
くまもと塩トマト
Tomatoes grown on salty land reclaimed from the sea around Yatsushiro, Kumamoto. The salt keeps them small and makes them intensely sweet.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 7 October 2021
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- くまもと塩トマト
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 熊本県八代市、八代郡氷川町及び宇城市の干拓地
Sweetened by salt
Shio means salt. These tomatoes grow on reclaimed land along the Yatsushiro Sea, in Yatsushiro, Hikawa and Uki in Kumamoto, where the soil is still salty. The salt makes it hard for the plants to draw up water and nutrients, so the fruit stays small and concentrates its sugar.
Small, firm and very sweet
They are a large-tomato variety, yet each fruit weighs only 30 to 150 grams. The sugar level reaches 8 degrees Brix or more, with plenty of savoury amino acids, firm skin and thick flesh. Few fields can grow them and they need constant care, so they sell for more than three times the price of ordinary large tomatoes.
Good to know
- Kumamoto is one of Japan's top tomato prefectures. Look for shio tomato in department store food halls and Kumamoto shops.
- Compare with Yatsushiro Ginger, which grows in the hills above the same plain.
Questions travellers ask
Does it taste salty?
No. The salt is in the soil, not the fruit. It makes the tomato sweeter and richer.
Why is it so expensive?
Few fields are salty enough, yields are small and the plants need careful management.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.