Wagamama Original Red Grape Tomato
A grape tomato variety being developed for home-garden, retail and commercial grower opportunities.
Innovate
Heritage in Motion
The May agricultural legacy is not merely history. Agricultural innovation continues today through Wagamama Seeds and NAKED Grape Tomato Raisins.
Seed → Seedling → Field → Harvest → Commercial Shipment
Wagamama Seeds
Wagamama Seeds Holding Company is a related agricultural seed enterprise involving Eddie May and Doug Bean. Its work follows the full growing sequence—from seed selection and nursery development through field production, harvest and packed commercial product.
WS26 Misfits Mini Seedless Watermelon
A mini seedless watermelon variety in commercial development, documented from transplanting through packed fruit.
Retail Seed Sales — Coming Soon
Wagamama Original Red Grape Tomato and select Wagamama varieties are being prepared for future retail seed availability through EffieMay.com. No retail pricing or online checkout is available at this time.
Commercial Growers
For commercial seed quantities, grower opportunities and trial inquiries, please contact our sales team at sales@effiemay.com.
Coming 2027
NAKED Grape Tomato Raisins
Skinless. Tender. Naturally Sweet. Deliciously Different.
NAKED begins with a grape tomato and transforms it into a tender, raisin-like tomato morsel through a specialized skin-removal and dehydration process. Unlike traditional sun-dried tomatoes, the skin is removed before dehydration, creating a distinctly different texture and eating experience.
NAKED is being developed for snacking, salads, food service, culinary applications and other specialty-food uses, with commercial introduction planned for 2027.
Product distinction
Why NAKED Is Different
9 LBS FRESH
1 LB NAKED
Fresh to Finished
Approximately nine pounds of fresh Wagamama Original Red Grape Tomatoes are used to produce one pound of finished NAKED Grape Tomato Raisins.
Naturally Sweeter Start
NAKED begins with a grape tomato selected in part for its naturally sweet flavor profile rather than the Roma-type tomato used for many sun-dried products.
Skin Removed Before Dehydration
Removing the tomato skin before dehydration is central to the NAKED process and helps create the product's distinctive texture.
Tender, Raisin-Like Texture
The finished product is designed to offer a tender, raisin-like eating experience rather than the tougher, chewier texture associated with many traditional sun-dried tomatoes.
Understanding Brix
Naturally Sweeter Going In
Brix is commonly used to describe soluble solids in fruit and is often associated with perceived sweetness. In product-development comparisons, the team has identified an approximately 6° Brix Roma-type tomato and an approximately 10° Brix grape tomato used for NAKED.
The central difference: NAKED starts with a naturally sweeter grape tomato and removes the skin before dehydration.
Traditional Sun-Dried Tomato
- —Typically Roma-type tomato
- —Approximately 6° Brix in development comparison*
- —Skin remains
- —Typically firmer, tougher or chewier
- —More traditional tart tomato profile
- —Established traditional format
NAKED Grape Tomato Raisin
- —Wagamama Original Red Grape Tomato
- —Approximately 10° Brix in development comparison*
- —Skin removed before dehydration
- —Tender, raisin-like texture
- —Naturally sweeter starting profile
- —Designed for snacking, salads, food service and culinary applications
*Brix can vary based on variety, maturity and growing conditions. Values shown reflect product-development comparisons and should not be interpreted as universal values for all Roma or grape tomatoes.
From the Product Development Archives
Ready Pac Foods — March 2018
“THE BEST TOMATO PRODUCT I have tasted in over 25 years in the business.”
In a March 2018 letter to Edward May, Ready Pac Foods Chief Gourmet Chef Jeffrey Haines documented his evaluation of an earlier grape-tomato-raisin product developed by May.
Haines wrote that Ready Pac had repeatedly tried to find a place for traditional sun-dried tomatoes in its salad packs, but found their bitter taste and toughness unsuitable. After evaluating May's grape tomato product, he wrote that his staff enjoyed the different flavors and was excited about possible use in Ready Pac salads.
The letter referenced Sriracha, Strawberry and Salted Raisin Tomato concepts. These are historical development flavors, not a statement of final 2027 NAKED commercial flavors.
This is a historical 2018 evaluation of an earlier product iteration, not a current Ready Pac endorsement of the planned 2027 NAKED product.
Years of development
The NAKED Development Timeline
Early Development
Edward May develops methods for transforming grape tomatoes into a tender, raisin-like tomato product.
Product & Flavor Development
Processing techniques, product characteristics and flavor concepts are developed and refined.
2018
Ready Pac Foods evaluates an earlier grape-tomato-raisin iteration and documents commercial interest and possible salad applications.
Continued Development
Processing, tomato selection, applications and commercialization strategy continue to evolve.
Original Red + NAKED
The Wagamama Original Red Grape Tomato becomes part of the current development and commercialization strategy.
2027
Planned commercial introduction of NAKED Grape Tomato Raisins.
The product evaluated in 2018 was an earlier iteration in the development history and should not be understood as identical to the product planned for 2027.
Potential uses
Built for More Than One Application
SnackingSaladsFood ServiceRestaurantsPrepared FoodsSpecialty FoodsCulinary Ingredients
These are intended or potential applications under development and do not represent existing commercial customers.
Growth & New Ventures
Expanding Our Agricultural Footprint
Effie May LLC is working toward the acquisition of an established agricultural property in Northern Arizona with mature commercial almond production and additional acreage with potential for future agricultural development.
The transaction has not closed. No ownership is implied.
