As my house finally came into view one day as I was walking back from middle school, I saw my grandpa through the glare of the kitchen windows. I immediately brightened up, as this had become a regular routine. I quickly made my way to the kitchen and as expected, there it was, waiting on the dining table: a glorious bowl of 糖水番茄 (sugar tomatoes), sweet juicy tomatoes marinated in a sugar water brine.

I took an eager spoonful of the sweet treat and was punched with the familiarity of its refreshing, sugary taste. I could tell it had been kept in the refrigerator all day because of how amazingly cold it was. This dessert was always my absolute favorite to have after a hot day of sweating during P.E. and sitting in back-to-back core classes in middle school.

I’m not the only one obsessed with this delicacy — it’s a well-known cultural dessert all over China. The unique combination of tanginess from the tomato and sweetness from the sugar produces an addicting flavor that keeps drawing you back, and the lightness of this chilled dish makes it the ideal summer treat. On top of that, the vibrantly red color of the juicy tomatoes makes the dessert aesthetically appealing. The simplicity of the preparation process — cutting tomatoes into large slices, marinating them in sugared water and refrigerating them for the desired temperature — makes it convenient to prepare and enjoy.

To this day, eating sugar tomatoes brings back memories of carefree childhood days — sitting and eating with my grandpa at the kitchen table, watching the TV with no stress from piles of homework and smelling the preparation of dinner. 

However, there is one melancholy difference that I feel whenever I eat sugar tomatoes these days: the sense of numerous responsibilities. Now that I’m an upperclassman, my responsibilities have increased significantly; I fall back on this dessert to release my anxiety and remind me of purer days of bliss.