We purchase them at the market. We dine on them in salads and sauces. Some of us indulge in the joy of growing our own at home, but how much do you really know about tomatoes? To begin, the botanical name for the tomato is Solanum lycopersicum .
Throughout the centuries, tomatoes have been called by many names: “xitomatl” (by the Aztecs), “tomatl” (by the Mayans), “pomme d’amour,” meaning “love apple” (by the French), and “poison apple” by many Europeans. Tomatoes originated in Central and South America. They were domesticated by Indigenous peoples and “discovered” in Mexico by Spanish explorers in the early 1500s.
When introduced to Europeans, the fruit was thought to be poisonous. The tomato was considered simply an ornamental plant. It took another 200 years for it to be accepted as a delicious addition to people’s diets.
Tomatoes are related to potatoes ( S. tuberosum ), eggplants ( S. melongena ), and peppers ( capsicum ).
All belong to the Solanaceae family of plants, which are commonly referred to as nightshades. Non-food nightshades include tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ), petunias ( Petunia ) and the beautiful but deadly angel’s trumpet ( Brugmansia ). Have you ever wondered why we eat the fruit but not the foliage of a tomato plant? Nightshade plants contain an alkaloid called solanine.
It acts as a natural defense to discourage nibbling animals through its bitter taste and intestinal side effects when consumed in large quantities, making.