Great Moments in Science: Yes, We Can Make Spicier Tomatoes

Here comes a spicy take.

Love tomatoes, but wish they were more like chillies? The scientists of the world have united and said: same.

According to Popular Science, food brainiacs have found not one but two genetic pathways to make tomatoes spicier, saving you from the agony of having to procure chilli and capsicum when making a nice salsa.

Their findings were published in the hot-hot-hot journal Trends in Plant Science.

Why make tomatoes hotter? Well, because that'd be delicious, obviously. But there's another, less taco-related reason too. See, capsaicinoids (the chemicals that makes food taste 'hot') have been found to be useful in cancer treatment as well as anti-inflammatory and pain medication (not to mention in the production of 'pepper spray'). Since tomatoes are easier and cheaper to grow than chillies, this could mean an affordable increase in capsaicinoid production.

Really though, we're just keen for that spice: