Tomato history

tomato history

Tomato is one of the fruits (although many still consider it a vegetable) that we eat practically every day. As a salad, as a side dish, alone or as an ingredient in our dishes, it has become an essential part of the Mediterranean diet (along with others). But what do you know about the history of the tomato?

If you are curious to know where this food comes from, what its origin was and if it has changed over time, we are going to ask you a tour through the whole history of the tomato. So that, in the end, you end up appreciating it.

The history of the tomato: where does it come from?

The history of the tomato: where does it come from?

Tomato, from the family of aubergines, potatoes and peppers, comes from the lower Andes. We really owe it to the Aztecs in Mexico, who cultivated it on their lands and who, when Christopher Columbus discovered America, many Europeans realized the fruit they were growing.

For the Aztecs, the name of the tomato was «tomatl», which in their language meant "swollen fruit", a characteristic of tomatoes, since they come out small first and then they get thicker, and changing from that green tone (that they are not ripe) to a more red and tasty one.

For this reason, for the Spanish conquerors, and because the original word was more complicated to pronounce, they decided to call it "tomato."

The history of the tomato before being discovered in Europe

The history of the tomato before being discovered in Europe

According to archaeological findings in America, it can be known that the tomato was already cultivated and consumed by ancestral cultures. In fact, there are still around 13 wild species of tomato plants that are not known in other parts of the world.

En Mexico there is evidence that the tomato was present in 700 BC, surely because both in Peru and in Mexico they dedicated themselves to domesticate this wild plant.

In addition, magic was attributed to him. According to what they said, if the seeds were made indigestible to someone, it was because they were going to acquire divinatory powers.

When does tomato arrive in Spain?

If you remember history, Columbus discovered America in 1492, that's in the XNUMXth century. However, it is known that the tomato, along with other foods such as potato, sweet potato, corn or chili, did not reach Spain until the XNUMXth century.

Why so long? Well, because it wasn't really Columbus who found it. It is attributed to two people. To Bernal Díaz de Castillo, who, captured by the Indians in Guatemala in 1538, observed that they wanted to eat it in a casserole with salt, chili pepper and tomato. And he related it to the Aztec custom of eating the arms and legs of the defeated with tomatoes, onions, peppers and salt.

On the other hand, it is said that Hernán Cortés found these fruits in the gardens of Moctezuma and decided to take them to the Old Continent. This was in 1521, after conquering the city of Tenochtítlan and becoming governor.

What is known almost for sure is that he must have arrived in Seville, one of the international trade centers, in 1540. Many merchants from various countries used to meet there to buy ingredients and food and that is why it is known that, in In 1544, Mattioli, an Italian herbalist, introduced it to Italy. First, it became known as "Bad aurea", but later they changed the name to "Pomodoro".

Obviously, it also jumped to other countries after Spain, such as France. In fact, there they considered it to be an aphrodisiac fruit, hence they began to call it "Pomme d'amour". This was supported by an investigation that, also in 1544, carried out another Dutch herbalist, Dodoens, who gave it that quality.

Something that very few know is that the first tomatoes that arrived in Spain and Italy were not red. But yellow. In fact, the name they gave it in Italy referred to that color, since pomodoro comes to mean "Pommel of gold".

Did you know that the tomato plant was considered poisonous?

Did you know that the tomato plant was considered poisonous?

When the tomato, its plants and seeds arrived in Spain, botany was not considered a scientific discipline, and the study of these was carried out by doctors and apothecaries, as well as ecclesiastics, and obviously They erred in their analysis by considering that the presence of tomatine was poisonous. This was because it was considered to be an alkaloid, present in leaves and immature fruits, which had a lot of similarity to belladonna, hence many recommended that they not be taken and, if the plant was had, that it was only at an ornamental level.

This, along with the social belief that vegetables were unhealthy, He made both the tomato and the potato at first treated with great care.

But that did not stop many people experimenting with tomato and including it in their recipes.

Fruit or vegetable? The controversy in the history of the tomato

Fruit or vegetable? The controversy in the history of the tomato

Tomato is considered a fruit for some. But for others it is a vegetable. It is a topic that has caused much debate, and the truth is that the answer may not like you. But this classification emerged in the United States.

En 1887 a law was passed. In it, a tax was imposed on all imported vegetables, but fruits were exempt from having to pay it. So the companies that imported tomatoes claimed that the tomato was a fruit.

Of course, the government fought back, and said that, when used in salads or as an ingredient for dishes, not as a dessert, it was a vegetable, that is, a vegetable, and therefore they had to pay the tax.

But is it really so? We analyze it:

  • Tomato as fruit. According to botany, the tomato is a fruit because it has seeds and a flowering plant (the tomato plant).
  • The tomato as a vegetable. According to the culinary classification, the tomato is a vegetable because it has a hard texture, soft taste and is the ingredient to prepare different dishes, such as soups, stir-fries, stews, etc. Instead, the fruit is smooth in texture and sweet or sour taste, but only used for popsicles or jams.

Which one is right? Well, both. The tomato can really be considered a fruit (by botany) or a vegetable (by culinary classification). In fact, there are more vegetables that are actually considered fruits at a botanical level, such as olives, corn, eggplant, avocado, cucumber, peas ...

As you can see, the history of the tomato is quite long. Did you know her? How do you rate the tomato, as a fruit or as a vegetable?


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