In the late 1700s, a large percentage of Europeans feared the tomato. A nickname for the fruit was the “poison apple” because it was thought that aristocrats got sick and died after eating them, but the truth of the matter was that wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, which were high in lead content.
A member of the deadly nightshade family, tomatoes were erroneously thought to be poisonous (although the leaves are poisonous) by Europeans who were suspicious of their bright, shiny fruit. Native versions were small, like cherry tomatoes, and most likely yellow rather than red.
Tomatoes were apparently feared in The USA for many years because of a rumor spread early on that they contained tomatine, a chemical compound that could be harmful for humans.
The tomato, it turns out, has always been political. Brought to Europe by the Spanish when they colonized the Americas – it's an Aztec plant, as we can tell by its original name, “tomatl” – by the mid-1500s, it had made its way to Italy.
After initally being feared by Europeans as unhealthy and poisonous, tomato began to be grown and consumed in the Mediterranean throughout the 17th century, becoming gradually integrated into European food systems in the Early Modern period.
18th century Europe mistrusted the tomato
That's because, according to Smithsonian, tomatoes belong to the nightshade family of plants, some of which are deadly — and Europeans weren't keen to eat any nightshades, even though it's only the leaves and stalks of the plant, and not the fruit, that are poisonous.
In the late 1700s, a large percentage of Europeans feared the tomato. A nickname for the fruit was the “poison apple” because it was thought that aristocrats got sick and died after eating them, but the truth of the matter was that wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, which were high in lead content.
In fact, the tomato was sometimes misidentified as a new type of eggplant by 16th-century botanists, who therefore certainly knew it wasn't poisonous. When the tomato started to circulate throughout Italy, it was so foreign that Italians weren't even sure which part of the plant was meant to be eaten.
The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) didn't come to Germany until well after the Spanish introduced it into Europe in the 1600s.
Background: Globally and also in Germany, tomatoes are the number one vegetable. In Germany, only a small part of the demand is produced, although tomatoes are grown in almost every market garden.
As part of his 12-step plan to staying in great shape, Brady said he doesn't eat nightshades – a group of vegetables including aubergines and tomatoes – because they cause inflammation and raise his body's pH.
So there's one hypothesis that some people scoff at the scent of tomatoes because they're genetically predisposed to be more sensitive to certain compounds than others in the tomato scent medley (though there's still more research to be done in order to fully understand which compounds elicit which responses from ...
But as iconic as the tomato is to Italian cuisine, it wasn't always that way. The tomato came from the Americas, and it was only introduced to Italy in the 15th or 16th century.
Because tomatoes lack the significance in Chinese culture that they hold in Italian culture—as a symbol of nationalism—tomatoes are not used to the degree that they are in Italy. The cuisines of both nations also feature strong variation depending on the region.
As the story is told, it was Colonel Johnson who on September 26, 1820 once and for all proved tomatoes non-poisonous and safe for consumption.
Belgium. Topping the list is Belgium, with a total of 84.8% of the population consuming at least one portion of fruit and vegetables per day.
The production of asparagus is an important factor in the economy of Franconia, and the so-called 'king of vegetables' is thus celebrated at many asparagus festivals in the region, the most famous of which is Nuremberg's Spargelmarkt.
According to a representative survey by the SINUS Institute and YouGov, the most eaten fruit in Germany is the apple. And the survey also answers questions about Germany's favorite taste and the meaning of organic apples for the consumers. In Germany no other fruit is consumed as much as the apple.
The top ranked country, China, accounted for 28.4 % of tomato consumption in the world.
“[Jews] were in many ways responsible for spreading the tomato,” said Cohen, who explained that Jewish merchants who had converted were exposed to tomatoes from the New World in Spain; when they sought refuge in Italy, they brought the tomato, as well as pumpkins.
The fruit became popular in part because of its ability to flavor food, no small matter at a time when spices were expensive and hard to find. By the 18th century, Italians had begun experimenting with tomato conservation methods.
Polenta. One dish that was very popular in Italy before tomatoes were introduced was polenta. Polenta is a type of boiled cornmeal that was often enjoyed morning, noon and night in Italy.
Therefore, countries located in Europe may have a difficult time producing a lot of tomatoes. Italy is responsible for producing more tomatoes than any other European country.
Today, you'll find tomatoes featured in dishes such as tomato beef, a simple stir-fry with beef and thick wedges of tomato in an oyster-flavored sauce, and tomato egg drop soup. In Xinjiang, where most of China's tomato crop is now grown, tomatoes are used in soups, salads and noodle dishes.
Tomatoes are low in calories and provide important nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. They're also rich in antioxidants—one called lycopene, responsible for tomatoes' characteristic color, is linked to several benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers.