How the Love Apple Crossed the Ocean Twice to Become a Staple in the American Diet
Singer-songwriter Guy Clark spoke for most of when he penned his iconic ditty “Homegrown Tomatoes”:
“Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What would life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.”
Few things can be more satisfying than picking a ripe tomato off the vine, slapping it between two pieces of toast and slathering some mayo on it. It’s an American classic, right? Well, sort of. The tomato first found favor on the North and South American continents, not long after Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage to the West. It crossed the Atlantic to become the darling of European cuisine, though, before returning to the New World.
The Origins of the Tomato
Historians generally agree that tomatoes originally grew wild in the Andes Mountains in South America, which run from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego, almost the entire north to south span of the continent. Indigenous peoples in Peru are believed to be the first to start cultivating the red fruit (yes, technically, a tomato is a fruit, as are zucchini, dandelion puffs and maple tree “helicopters”). As they did, the tomato slowly made its way north to the Mexican continent. When the Spanish explorers arrived in Mexico in the early 16th century, they saw and tasted tomatoes for the first time. Eventually, they brought tomato seeds back to Spain.
The Tomato Takes Over Europe
The first known sighting of a tomato in Italy took place in Tuscany, in 1548. The Italians likened it to an eggplant and dubbed it “pomidoro,” or golden apple. Surprisingly, it took a couple centuries to become the heart and soul of Italian cuisine, when renowned chef Francesco Leonardi included a recipe for a tomato sauce in his 1790 publication L’Apicio Moderno. It took yet another 50 years for the sauce to be paired with pasta.
The Tomato Crosses Back Over the Ocean
It’s believed that the first tomatoes grown in what is now the United States were planted in Georgia and along the Carolinas. Historians say they were most likely brought here by Spanish settlers. In fact, there’s substantial evidence that settlers in America saw and appreciated the benefits of the tomato long before Europeans (including Italians) did. Research indicates that, when the tomato first came to Europe, many thought the red fruit was poisonous…and not without merit. The tomato (along with the eggplant, potato and tomatillo) is a member of the nightshade/belladonna family. While the fruit is not toxic, the leaves, stems and roots all contain a neurotoxin, and should not be eaten.
