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You say tomato…we say love apple?
Tomatoes first grew in the wild as cherry-size berries in the South American Andes. The fruit (and yes, it is a fruit) was developed in Mexico where it was known as tomatil. From there it traveled to Europe by boat with the returning conquistadors in the 1500s. Upon arrival in Italy, the heart-shaped tomato was considered an aphrodisiac; thus tomato in Italian poma amoris means "love apple". American colonists thought our beloved tomato was poisonous. But thanks to a publicity stunt (Robert Gibbon Johnson stood on the New Jersey courthouse steps in 1820 and ate a tomato--with no adverse effects) the tomato’s bad reputation was saved. Thanks Bob.
Food Fact brought to you by Farm Credit Canada.
Source: California Tomato Growers’ Association Website
http://www.ctga.org/newctga/facts.htm
And FCC Horticulture Fast Facts (KM)
