[taneq]

Perfect looking with unnaturally long shelf life, yeah. Tomatoes certainly aren't the same thing I remember them being, for instance.

[ams6110]

The big problem with tomatoes is that the ones that go to supermarkets are harvested green and ripened artificially. They don't develop the same flavors as a natural sun-ripened tomato. But, a sun-ripened tomato at the peak of ripeness is both too fragile and too short lived to be shipped and sold in supermarkets. I think the same is true for a lot of other fruits.

[wishinghand]

How did they used to taste?

[rootusrootus]

You can grow excellent tomatoes yourself, or head to a local farmer's market for a reasonable selection of 'real' tomatoes.

The short answer -- a properly ripe tomato doesn't need any help whatsoever from salt or sugar to make it tasty.

[jazzyjackson]

Keep your eyes out for "Heirloom tomatoes" or my favorite, zebra-stripe tomatoes. They're a lot smaller, vary in color a lot. Pack a punch, I like to just snack on them whole.

[taneq]

Like tomatoes, instead of like watery cardboard.

[wishinghand]

That doesn't help answer the question at all.