A cherry tomato is a diminutive subspecies of the regular old tomato that can be as small as a cherry.

Cherry tomatoes are red or golden yellow (with less acid and a milder flavor). They first appeared in Europe in the early 1600s, and there are dozens of varieties with names like Cheerio, Whippersnapper, Husky Red, Gardener's Delight, Peace Vine and the much-lauded Sweet and Supersweet 100. The Santorini cherry tomato ("tomataki") is noted for excellence, and the volcanic Greek island hosts international conferences on the cherry tomato.

Cherry tomatoes are frequently used as a garnish because they are so cute. They are also popular used in hors d'oeuvres or salads, as they are easy to pop in your mouth and at their best are bursting with concentrated sweet tomato flavor that is often superior to their larger counterparts. Best of all, they don't need to be sliced -- which makes them popular in salad bars.

In addition to eating them like candy, you can roast cherry tomatoes in the oven, sauté them or do fancy things like cut off their tops, scoop out their insides, and stuff them with whipped goat cheese or crab mousse.

Pricey cherry tomatoes can be red and perfectly round; yellow and pear-shaped; or oblong "grape" tomatoes that are like miniature plum tomatoes. The smallest of the mini tomatoes are currant tomatoes, which weigh just 1/8 of an ounce.

Root Source: Cherry Tomato (Cookthink)