Tamarillo vs Tomato: What's the Difference?
Short answer: Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are cousins in the nightshade family but different species. The tamarillo is an egg-shaped, red-to-orange fruit that grows on a small tree, with a tart, tangy, more intense flavour and a tough, bitter skin you don't eat. The tomato is the familiar round garden fruit, milder and juicier, with edible skin. Tamarillos are usually scooped or peeled and often sweetened; tomatoes are eaten skin and all.
| 🥚 Tamarillo | 🍅 Tomato | |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Sharp and tangy with a savoury, tomato-meets-passionfruit edge; the flesh around the seeds is sweeter, the skin bitter (so it's peeled). Red types are tarter, gold ones milder and sweeter. | Sweet-acid balance over a deep savory umami base (tomatoes are rich in natural glutamate); great ones taste sun-warmed and complex, refrigerated ones taste of nothing — the cold kills the aroma enzymes. |
| Type | Tropical & subtropical | Berry |
| Peak season | Autumn, Winter | Summer, Year-round |
| Origin | The Andes of South America (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia) | Andean South America (Peru/Ecuador); domesticated in Mesoamerica |
| Calories (per 100 g) | 31 | 18 |
| Sugar (per 100 g) | 3.5 g | 2.6 g |
| Vitamin C (per 100 g) | 30 mg | 13.7 mg |
| Typical price | Mid | Budget |
The old name “tree tomato” tells the story: a tamarillo is a tomato relative that grows on a small tree, not the vine fruit you slice into a salad.
Both belong to the nightshade genus Solanum, so they’re genuine cousins, but they’re different species with different habits. The tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) is egg-shaped and smooth, ripening to deep red, orange, or amber, and hangs from a small subtropical tree. Its flesh is firm and tangy around a core of edible seeds, and the flavour is markedly more tart and intense than a tomato - savoury and fruity at once, with comparisons to passionfruit and kiwi. The skin is tough and bitter, so you halve and scoop it, or peel it, and it’s often sugared for eating fresh or cooked into chutneys and sauces.
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the soft-stemmed garden plant we all know: rounder, juicier, milder, and eaten whole, skin included, mostly in savoury dishes.
So while they share a family and a silhouette hint, the eating is different: tamarillo is a tangy, tree-grown, scoop-or-peel fruit you often sweeten; tomato is a mild, juicy, eat-whole staple.
Frequently asked questions
Is a tamarillo just a tomato that grows on a tree?
They're related but not the same. Both are in the genus Solanum, so they're cousins, but the tamarillo (S. betaceum) is a distinct species that grows on a small tree, hence its old name 'tree tomato.' The garden tomato (S. lycopersicum) is a soft-stemmed plant.
Do you eat tamarillo skin?
Usually not - the skin is tough and bitter. Most people halve the fruit and scoop the flesh, or blanch and peel it. Tomato skin, by contrast, is thin and eaten as part of the fruit.
How does a tamarillo taste?
More intense and tart than a tomato, with a tangy, savoury-sweet flavour some compare to a mix of tomato, passionfruit, and kiwi. Because it's quite sharp, it's often sprinkled with sugar for eating fresh, or cooked into chutneys, sauces, and desserts.