JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE TOMATO SEEDS

10+ Organically Grown Seeds — Japanese Black Trifele Tomato

With its elegant pear-shaped fruits, beautiful mahogany coloring, and exceptionally rich flavor, Japanese Black Trifele is one of the most distinctive dark tomatoes a gardener can grow. This unusual Russian variety combines old-world character with impressive productivity and remarkable culinary versatility.

Despite its name, Japanese Black Trifele is a Russian tomato, originally known as Yaponskiy Trufel Chernyi, meaning Japanese Black Truffle. Its documented history in North American seed collections dates to 1999, when Swedish seed preservationist Åke Truedsson offered the variety through the Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook. The name reflects the fruit’s unusual truffle-like appearance rather than a verified Japanese origin.

The fruits are immediately recognizable. Shaped like miniature Bartlett pears, they develop a beautiful combination of deep mahogany, brick red, and chocolate-brown coloring, often retaining dark green shoulders when ripe. Individual tomatoes typically weigh 4–6 ounces, with smooth skin and firm, meaty flesh.

The flavor is every bit as impressive as the appearance. Japanese Black Trifele offers a rich, complex tomato flavor with a satisfying balance of sweetness and acidity. Its dense texture and full-bodied character make it equally appealing for fresh slicing, salads, sauces, and preserving.

Plants are indeterminate with distinctive potato-leaf foliage, an unusual feature that adds to the variety’s appeal. Under favorable growing conditions, the vines produce generous clusters of attractive, relatively uniform fruits throughout the season. Growers frequently praise the variety’s productivity and the fruits’ tendency to resist cracking.

Maturing approximately 74–80 days from transplanting, Japanese Black Trifele is an excellent choice for gardeners seeking something beyond traditional round beefsteaks and cherry tomatoes.

Variety: Japanese Black Trifele
Original Name: Yaponskiy Trufel Chernyi
Species: Solanum lycopersicum
Origin: Russia
Type: Open-Pollinated, Dark-Fruited Tomato
Growth Habit: Indeterminate
Leaf Type: Potato Leaf
Fruit Color: Mahogany, Brick Red & Chocolate Brown
Fruit Shape: Pear-Shaped
Fruit Weight: Typically 4–6 Ounces
Flavor: Rich, Complex, Sweet with Balanced Acidity
Days to Maturity: Approximately 74–80 Days from Transplanting
Best Uses: Fresh Slicing, Salads, Sauces & Preserving

Beautiful enough to be a conversation piece and flavorful enough to become a garden favorite, Japanese Black Trifele proves that exceptional tomatoes don’t always come in traditional shapes.