Healthy Tomatoes

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Today, we’ll talk about tomatoes. They are known to have various health benefits, such as anticancer and antiaging effects. Here are tips on how to enjoy the benefits of tomatoes to the fullest.

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This is a tomato farm in Gyeonggi-do Province. Big, plump tomatoes hang on trees. Good fresh tomatoes have red, glossy skin. They should come with green undried stalks. Tomatoes have various nutrients.

[Soundbite] Prof. Song Tae-hee(Baewha Women's University) : "Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A and C. So they are good for the skin. Rich in lycopene, the fruit has anti-cancer and anti-aging effects by helping remove active oxygen, which is bad for the body."

Available in several colors, these are jujube cherry tomatoes that are enjoying lots of popularity these days. Let's compare ordinary big tomatoes and jujube cherry tomatoes. They are different in size, of course. But the small tomatoes are sweeter and richer in vitamin C and other nutrients.

[Soundbite] Prof. Song Tae-hee(Baewha Women's University) : "Compared to ordinary big tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and the antioxidant beta carotene. They also taste sweeter, as they contain plenty of glutamic acid. Many people like cherry tomatoes, which taste good and are easy to eat."

Here are ways to cook tomatoes easily at home.

[Soundbite] Roh Min-jeong(Culinary Expert) : "Tomatoes are hard. So they don't get crushed easily. I am going to make a dish using a whole tomato."

Cut off the stalk and scoop the flesh out of the tomato. And then chop up the removed flesh and other vegetables. Next, stir-fry them with minced beef. Mix the tomato, vegetables and beef with multi-grain rice and a sauce that suits your fancy. Fill the emptied tomato with the sticky mixture. Place some Mozzarella cheese on the top of it and bake it in an oven for 15 minutes. This is tomato rice. Next, here is a good recipe using jujube cherry tomatoes. Soak them in a bottle of yuzu and sugar concentrate. Keep it in the refrigerator for one or two days. And voila! Yuzu tomato pickles.

[Soundbite] Yang Bong-soon(Gyeonggi-do Prov. Resident) : "It is easy to make the dish at home. It is a good healthy snack for children."

These delicious tomato dishes are surely good for your health.