The best tomato I’ve ever eaten was not an heirloom.
It was a Sungold. An orange orb of joy tossed with olive oil, lemon thyme, salt, and pepper resting next to a piece of creamy mozzarella.
Sungolds are a modern hybrid tomato. Their thin skin and juicy interior make them prone to splitting, meaning that Sungolds are very rarely grown far away and sent on a cross-country journey to our tables. They are often raised by local farmers, picked when ripe, and eaten within a couple of days. In my mind, this is what makes for great flavor in a tomato—being raised well, harvested just ripe, and eaten quickly. I prioritize flavor above all else in a tomato (and most other things for that matter).