The fans of the Da Vinci Code might recall that the so-called “Blue Apples” are still hidden somewhere in Southern France in Cathar country, and allegedly symbolize the secrets of mysterious Rennes-le-Chateau.

But what about other colorful fruits and vegetables? Do they hold any secrets? At my local Whole Foods store, I have seen white eggplant, purple cauliflower and bluish radish.

Why do they look so different? While I doubt they are connected in any way to the secrets of the Holy Grail, some of these hybrids have been created in an attempt to boost their nutritional quality.

And now, if all goes well, we may soon have a new addition to our salad plates – a purple tomato! The purple tomato combines the best of both worlds – antioxidant punch of blueberries plus its original lycopene, another powerful antioxidant.

It contains the same phytochemical found in blueberries that is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. [...] Tomato lovers don’t have to worry about its genetic origins — this tomato traces its roots to a wild species in South America and not a petri dish.

[...] the purple tomato, unlike its red cousins, contained high levels of anthocyanins, a chemical found in dark fruit pigments such as blueberries and grapes that can act as an antioxidant.

What about taste? Does the purple tomato taste like a blueberry? Results from a small taste test seem to be mixed, so they are working to fine-tune the flavor.