A Brief History of the Tomato

With the gardening season upon us, many gardeners are contemplating how to win the annual neighborhood bragging rights of having the first ripe tomato of the year. Taste buds everywhere have been dulled all winter by the consumption of bland, shipped-in tomatoes and true tomato connoisseurs of this delightful fruit go to great lengths to assure the early and plentiful production of America's most popular garden plant. The latter fact is quite remarkable considering the length of time it took the tomato to win the trust of the American people, and prove that it is safe to eat. The history of the tomato illustrates just how difficult it can be to eradicate popular misconceptions.

Most authorities support the idea that tomato originated in moderate altitudes of the Andean region of South America now occupied by Peru, Bolivia and Equador. Domestication and use of tomato as food probably first occurred in Central America as evidenced by archeological finds and linguistic records. The Aztecs are credited with first growing tomato for food and helping to name it. Indeed, the modern name "tomato" is derived from tomati, the word for this plant in the native language of the Aztecs. According to one account, the Aztecs mixed tomatoes, chilies and ground squash seeds into a concoction not unlike our modern salsa. However, because of its perishable nature, tomato probably never occupied a great deal of importance in their diets.

Spanish conquistadors such as Cortez probably were the first Europeans to encounter tomato when they arrived in Central America and Mexico in the early sixteenth century. It is presumed they took the seed of this plant back to Europe where it soon found favor in the Mediterranean countries of southern Europe (especially Italy); there it was given the name pomi d'oro, or "apple of gold." This indicates the first tomatoes used as food by Europeans were yellowfruited in nature. Later, the tomato was grown in Spain and France, but more as a garden curiosity than as a food source. The French called tomato pomme d'amour from whence the English and early American term "love apple" was derived to describe it. Tomato belongs to the Solanaceae or Nightshade family - a family containing some very disreputable members. Upon arriving in the northern countries of Europe, tomato (perhaps because of the pungent odor of its foliage) had the misfortune of being associated with poisonous members of the Solanaceae family, especially deadly nightshade. The latter is the source of belladonna which had seen use as a hallucinogenic drug and beauty aid in Europe. Belladonna as a hallucinogen is said to produce visions and the sense of flying. German folklore claims it was used by witches (the origin of Halloween scenes of witches flying on broomsticks) to summon werewolves, a practice known as "lycanthropy." The Latin word for "wolf" is lycos and tomato soon became known as "wolf peach" in many parts of northern Europe where it was shunned. In the 18th century, Carlos Linneas gave tomato the scientific name of Lycopersicon esculentum, which, literally interpreted, means "edible wolf peach."

An interesting side note is the role tomato played in the French Revolution. Patriotic citizens of Paris seeking to oust the ruling aristocracy wore red caps as a symbol of faith in the new-found Republic. While busily revolting, they still had to eat, and one zealous chef suggested revolutionists should eat only red food to demonstrate their loyalty to the Republic. Tomato was a perfect choice in that it was shunned by the French aristocracy, and it quickly became the fruit of choice for the Republican masses.

Tomato was a late-comer to what is now the United States, and the exact date of its arrival is unclear. Some suggest the colonists brought tomato with them as they emigrated from Europe. Others maintain it did not arrive until after the Declaration of Independence was signed. In either case, Thomas Jefferson, who was a progressive agriculturalist as well as a gifted statesman, grew tomato at Monticello in 1781. Later it was taken to others of the original thirteen states. Tomato was considered by most at that time to be of questionable safety as a food source, and its early use was ornamental or medicinal in nature. It was reported to be useful in pustule removal, perhaps due to its high acid content. The first reported use of tomato as food occurred in New Orleans in 1812, probably because of the large French influence in that region. It would be another two decades before the safety of tomato was well-established in the northeastern part of the country.

Legend has it that an eccentric New Englander by the name of Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson announced he was going to consume a bushel of tomatoes on the courthouse steps of Salem, NJ to prove once-and-for-all that they were not poisonous. In spite of dire warnings from his personal physician who predicted, "The foolish colonial will foam and froth at the mouth and double over with appendicitis. Should he by some unlikely chance survive, his skin will stick to his stomach and cause cancer." Supposedly, thousands of onlookers flocked to the courthouse to watch the spectacle of this man causing his own demise, but were shocked when the colonel, dressed in black for added theatrical affect, ate the entire bushel of tomatoes and survived. Whether the legend is truth or fiction, the fact is that tomato gained popularity as a food source shortly thereafter and, by the mid-1800's, was widely planted and available in the form of dozens of different cultivars. Its place in western culture was firmly "planted" by the late 1800's.

In spite of being shunned for centuries, the tomato has slowly made its way into our culture

Another interesting aspect of tomato's rise to popularity was the debate whether it should be classified as a fruit or a vegetable. While this might seem trivial to most, its classification was 27 . cation was greatly important to those who first grew it commercially because of taxation and import tariffs established to protect American vegetable growers. The issue went all the way to the Supreme Court which, in 1887, ruled to classify it as a vegetable subject to import quotas and taxation. This decision was reaffirmed as recently as 1981 when the USDA declared it a vegetable so that eating ketchup would count as vegetable consumption in school lunch programs nationwide. Be it a fruit or a vegetable, today tomato is America's favorite garden plant and an important part of its agricultural industry. The following are interesting facts concerning tomato that illustrate its importance:

• 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced annually worldwide.
• The average American (men, women & children) eats 80 pounds of tomatoes each year.
• Tomatoes are grown in 85 percent of America's home gardens.
• The largest tomato ever produced weighed 7 pounds and was grown in Oklahoma.
• There are more than 10,000 tomato cultivars.
• Tomatoes are rich in vitamins C and A, and are cholesterol free.
• Lycopene, a red pigment in tomato, is a powerful anti-oxidant that may prevent cancer.

The history of tomato is interesting in that it is a plant native to the Americas that had to go abroad to make good and be accepted as a food source here. In spite of being shunned for centuries as being poisonous, it has slowly but surely made its way into our culture and now is considered as "American as apple pie." Growing tomatoes in one's garden is an activity good for body and spirit. May your crop this year be early and plentiful.

David Trinklein Associate Professor of Horticulture
573-882-9631