The first tomato plants were planted in Greece by a Friar Francis in 1818, in the gardens of a Capuchin monastery at the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates (built in 335 B.C.) in Athens. Submitted by Shirley Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
The tomato is native to the Americas. It was initially cultivated by Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D. Europeans first saw the tomato when the Conquistadors reached Mexico and Central America in the 16th century. Tomato seeds were taken back to Europe where they quickly found favor in the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Portugal and Italy. Submitted by Tim Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
As the tomato traveled north, it was veiled in mystery. The French called it “The Apple of Love,” the Germans “The Apple of Paradise;” but the British, while admiring its brilliant red color, disclaimed the tomato as a food--they believed it was poisonous. This same fear persisted among colonists in the United States until the early 19th century; but in 1812, the Creoles in New Orleans put their cooking on the map with their tomato-enhanced gumbos and jambalayas. The people of Maine quickly followed suit, combining fresh tomatoes with local seafood. Submitted by Tim Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Did you know that the tomato, also called "wolf peach" and "devil apple," was once thought to be poisonous, and that people believed it caused brain fever and stomach cancer? It was not until Colonel Robert Johnson stood on the courthouse steps in Salem, NJ, and ate a whole bushel of yellow tomatoes to prove to ignorant people that the tomato was tasty and edible, that people realized the truth about the tomato. This also began a thriving business in tomato-growing in southern NJ. One of the first companies to make soup out of the tasty fruit was one with the name of Campbell. Sound familiar? Submitted by Ed Buhrer of Louisa, VA
It would appear the tomato originated in Peru, although there is no cultural evidence to support it having played an important role in diet. Most evidence supports the theory that domestication of the tomato took place in Central America. Submitted by Tim Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
It is likely that tomatoes were introduced to the Old World via the Mediterranean. The earliest mention of them was in the mid 1500s. In France the tomato was known as the pomme d'amour (love apple) The English remained skeptical of the tomato since its leaves closely resembled that of the poisonous nightshade. In fact, the colonists brought the tomato back to the Americas as an ornamental plant. Submitted by Tim Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Recipes using tomatoes didn't begin to show up in American cookbooks until the 1820s. Thomas Jefferson was ahead of his time not only when he brought french-fries to his table, but also when he introduced tomatoes in 1781. Today the United States is the largest producer of tomatoes in the world, followed by China, Turkey, Italy and India. Top commercial growers in the country are Florida, California & Georgia. Submitted by Tim Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
The tomato, a relative of the deadly nightshade family of plants, was held in high suspicion after it was brought to Europe from Mexico in the 1500s. It was grown in Spain. In Italy it was not widely accepted as a mainstay of Italian food until 1800s. Submitted by E Daily of Sandy Hook, CT
The Tomato - (Lycopersicon esculentum) Originally cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D., the tomato is native to the Americas. Europeans were first made aware of the tomato when explorers brought back seed from Mexico and Central America in the 16th century. Tomatoes quickly became popular in the Mediterranean countries but received resistance as they spread north. The British in particular considered the fruit to be beautiful but poisonous. This fear was shared in the American colonies and it was years before the tomato gained widespread acceptance. By the middle of the 19th century, tomatoes were in use across America. Today the tomato is generally considered to be the favorite vegetable of the American public. Submitted by Sylvester Davenport of Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Tomatoes first grew as wild, cherry-size berries in the South American Andes, but the fruit, as we know it today, was developed in Mexico where it was known as "tomatil" and traveled to Europe by boat with the returning conquistadors. Submitted by Tim Younger of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Thomas Jefferson was raising tomatoes in 1782. Only in the next century did tomatoes make it in American cookbooks. God Bless America! Submitted by Scott Evans of Mathews, North Carolina
Tomatoes are native to America and were first cultivated in 700 A.D. However, the fear of tomatoes being poisonous persisted until about 1812 when the Creoles in New Orleans used tomatoes in gumbos and jambalayas. By 1850 the tomato gained popularity throughout all America.
