Tomatoes, also known as love apples or wolf peaches have not always been a popular food in North America. They came a long way to being widely accepted and finally loved.
Tomatoes belong to the genus Lycopersicon (Solanaceae family). The 1st domesticated tomato was a yellow fruit grown by the Aztecs of Central America who called it ‘xitomatl’ (pronounced zee-toe-má-tel), meaning plump thing with a navel (Durrant, 2010). Tomatoes were later called tomati by other Central American tribes (Durrant, 2010). The tomato’s actual origin is thought to be Peru in South America where it grew wild several thousands of years before making its way north to Central America (Durrant, 2010).
Back in the 1800's, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous throughout europe. Northern cultures associated the tomato plant, which bore morphogical resemblance to the poisonous members of the Solanceae family, specifically henbane, mandrake and deadly nightshade (Cox, 2000). Atropus belladonna, a kind of nightshade, bears good resemblance to the tomato plant and is a poisonous plant used both as a hallucinogenic drug and a beauty aid in different parts of Europe (Cox, 2000). The hallucinogenic effects of the plant often led to the association of witchcraft with nightshade (Cox, 2000). Old German folklore has it that the nightshade plants are used to evoke werewolves, hence the common German name for tomatoes as "wolf peach" (Cox, 2000). Another common source of fear around tomatoes was caused by the acidic property of the fruit. When the acid of tomatoes leached out the lead in utensils made of pewter, it caused sickness and even death in people (Durrant, 2010).
On September 26, 1820, Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson of Salem, NJ stood in front of the Salem courthouse and bravely consumed a bushel of tomatoes in order to prove that tomatoes are edible (Paul, 2009). His courageous gesture attracted over 2,000 people who gathered to witness his 'public suicide' (Paul, 2009). As the story went, he did not suffer from any illness afterwards. Before consuming the bushel of tomatoes, Johnson said, "The time will come when this luscious, scarlet apple...will form the foundation of a great garden industry, and will be...eaten, and enjoyed as edible food...and to help speed that enlightened day, to prove that it will not strike you dead -- I am going to eat one right now!" (Paul, 2009).
Today, tomatoes are one of the most common vegetables/fruits in North America. They are now grown worldwide, of which china became the largest producer and produced about 130 million tons of tomatoes in 2008. There are around 7500 different varieties of tomatoes in the world that are grown for various purposes. Current evidence suggests their benefit in heart health and cancer prevention as they contain powerful antioxidants such as lycopene, vitamin C and many other nutrients including vitamin A, anthocyanin and fiber (Tomatoes, 2010).
References
Cox, S. (2000, December). History of the Tomato:From discovery to modern commercialism: The complete story behind Lycopersicon esculentum. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.landscapeimagery.com/tomato.html
Durrant, L. (2010). Plant Origins: Lycopersicon (Tomatoes). Horticultural Information. Retreived Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/features/vegetables/tomatoes/tomorigin/tomato%20origin.htm
Paul, U. (2009). The Most Misunderstood Fruit in the World: The Wolf Peach. Walk About Magazine. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.walkaboutmag.com/17unclepaul.html
Tomatoes. (2010). The World's Healthiest Foods. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
Cox, S. (2000, December). History of the Tomato:From discovery to modern commercialism: The complete story behind Lycopersicon esculentum. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.landscapeimagery.com/tomato.html
Durrant, L. (2010). Plant Origins: Lycopersicon (Tomatoes). Horticultural Information. Retreived Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/features/vegetables/tomatoes/tomorigin/tomato%20origin.htm
Paul, U. (2009). The Most Misunderstood Fruit in the World: The Wolf Peach. Walk About Magazine. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.walkaboutmag.com/17unclepaul.html
Tomatoes. (2010). The World's Healthiest Foods. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
