Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience)
Seeds are from Bunny Hop Seeds. Here is the description from the seller, I ran it through Yandex Translate:
“Daifuku is an original creation of Bunny Hop Seeds. It’s a dark purple, medium-sized salad tomato with a strong, sweet flavor. It’s named after the Japanese confection that is often filled with a rich, sweet, dark paste. When I first tasted this segregating line, it instantly reminded me of my favorite treat. Daifuku has a small core and very little waste. The flesh is plump and smooth, with juicy gel.
I made this cross in 2013 trying to find a non-red tomato that I could actually grow in the dirt in my tough climate under heavy insect and disease pressure. I couldn’t find one, so I crossed the disease-resistant red salad hybrid BHN 669 F1 with the delicious, famous purple beefsteak, Black from Tula. The cross was a success, and we chased down several segregates.
Now at the F7 generation, the ‘Daifuku’ line is completely stable. Every generation was grown out in my native soil, which is poor, sandy, acidic, and loaded with bacterial wilt and root-knot nematodes. Daifuku handled all of that, plus the heat and humidity, without missing a beat. I highly recommend Daifuku to anyone trying to grow heirlooms in a hot, humid climate who wants a sweet, rich salad tomato with perfect shape and zero waste.”
I grew this variety this season. The plant reached just a bit over 3 feet (1 m). Early, and produces over a really long window. The fruits are round, dark purple-violet, weighing 2.8-5.3 oz (80-150 g). Under my conditions, the variety proved to be a massive yielder and totally fuss-free. Tastes sweet. And if we’re getting poetic about it—the flesh is sweet and jammy with notes of tea rose and vanilla.
Full Summary: Resilience, Yield, and Flavor
- 🌿 Plant: A compact, highly resilient plant that reaches roughly 3 feet (1 m). Bred specifically to thrive in poor, sandy, acidic soil.
- 🦠 Disease & Climate Tolerance: Phenomenal. The breeder stabilized this variety over 7 generations in an environment plagued by extreme heat, heavy humidity, bacterial wilt, and root-knot nematodes. It handles harsh conditions effortlessly.
- 📈 Yield: A massive producer. It starts yielding early in the season and continues to pump out fruit over a very long window.
- 👅 Taste: Very sweet and complex. The flesh is described as jammy with unique, floral flavor notes akin to tea rose and vanilla.
- 🍅 Fruit: Dark purple-violet salad tomatoes, perfectly round, weighing between 2.8 and 5.3 oz (80-150 g). They feature a small core and practically zero waste.
