What Is a Tamarillo? Meet the Rare NZ Fruit Behind Tamco's Relish & Vinaigrette
⚓ SMUGGLER'S LOG
Smuggled a crate of something new across the Tasman this trip, and half of you are going to ask the same question the second you see the jar: what on earth is a tamarillo?
Short answer: a tamarillo is an egg-shaped South American fruit grown commercially in New Zealand, tasting somewhere between a tomato and a passionfruit — bright, a little sharp, and genuinely unlike anything else in a condiment jar. It's also seriously scarce: there are now fewer than thirty commercial tamarillo growers left in New Zealand, which makes it one of the rarer fruits to find turned into a proper relish or dressing anywhere in the world.
The family behind the jar
Tamco is a small grower cooperative based in Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand — they've spent over a decade turning this scarce fruit into something worth putting on the table rather than a novelty you buy once. We've just brought two of their products into the range: a Tamarillo Relish and a Tamarillo Vinaigrette, both made in Whangarei from NZ-grown tamarillo.
What it actually tastes like
Tangy up front with a soft fruit sweetness underneath — not sour, not overpowering. The relish is a deep reddish-brown, thick and spoonable, spiced through with a blend of other selected fruits, vinegars and seasoning. The vinaigrette is a clear, ruby-red dressing, slow-infused with imported Italian red wine vinegar, built so the tamarillo's own character comes through rather than getting buried in acid.
How to actually use it
The relish sits happily on a cheeseboard next to cold cuts, folds through a meatloaf or casserole mix, or does the job your usual sauce does next to a steak or snags off the barbie. The vinaigrette is built for salads first, but it's just as good as a meat marinade before the grill, whisked through a pan sauce, or drizzled straight over grilled haloumi or roast vegetables.
Grab the gear
Both come in a smaller 210g relish jar if you'd rather try before committing to the full 330g. Browse the full Tamco range to see what else has made the crossing.
New territory, same rule: taste it before you judge it. The whole haul's at the Rub Hub →
— The Rub Smuggler ⚓