This is not just any tomato...

It looks rotten but apparently it tastes delicious.

A new green super tomato', which can be eaten before its ripe, hit the shelves of Marks and Spencer today.

The 'kumato' develops from a dark green to a dark red to a dark brown and is a perfect sandwich filler throughout, developers claim.

The fruit is said to have a mild clean taste and firm texture perfect for slicing into sandwiches

As it ripens it develops a spicy aroma and sweeter taste. It is also thought to be an aphrodisiac.

The kumato took 10 years to develop from a wild version grown on the Galapagos Islands and is already commonly eaten in Mediterranean countries.

Dr Ian Puddephat, sensory scientist at plant science company Syngenta, who helped develop the mini kumato said: "While continental Europeans and Americans have eaten multi-coloured tomatoes for years, British consumers have traditionally only bought red.

M&S tomato specialist George Hebditch said: "The Kumato looks and tastes sensational. It has an appealing sweet flavour and will offer a really exciting new look to salads.

The kumato is grown in Lancashire where the climate is mild enough to grow the seeds due to the warm Gulf Stream passing the Irish Sea.

The tomatoes, which cost £2.49 a punnet, are being launched in Marks and Spencer to coincide with National Tomato Week.