The tomato, a vibrant and versatile fruit, holds a prominent place in kitchens worldwide today. From enriching sauces and salads to starring in various culinary creations, it is now widespread. This widespread acceptance belies a complex past. Its journey from a feared plant to a global staple is a tale of botanical confusion, cultural adaptation, and legal definition.
South American Origins
The tomato originated in the Andean mountains of South America, where its wild ancestors first thrived. These smaller, often cherry-sized fruits were gradually domesticated over thousands of years by indigenous populations. The cultivated plant migrated northward to Mesoamerica. Here, civilizations like the Aztecs in central Mexico began cultivating it extensively around 700 AD. They referred to the fruit as “xītomatl,” a Nahuatl word that forms the root of its modern name.
Journey to Europe
Spanish conquistadors introduced the tomato to Europe in the 16th century. They brought seeds and plants to Spain. The plant thrived in the warmer climates of the Iberian Peninsula and quickly spread to Italy, integrating into local diets. In these Mediterranean regions, the tomato was recognized for its culinary potential, slowly ascending into regional cuisines.
Its reception in Northern Europe, particularly Britain, was quite different. The plant was largely viewed with suspicion and cultivated primarily as an ornamental curiosity rather than a food source. Its unusual appearance and unfamiliarity contributed to this wary reception.
The Poisonous Reputation
For centuries, the tomato was widely reputed as a poisonous plant, hindering its acceptance. This fear stemmed partly from its botanical classification within the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshades. This family includes toxic species like deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and mandrake, which contain potent alkaloids. Visual similarities between the tomato plant and these relatives contributed to the belief that the tomato was unsafe to eat.
A more significant factor in the tomato’s dangerous image among wealthy Europeans was dining on pewter plates. These plates often contained high levels of lead, a soft and reactive metal. The tomato’s natural acidity, particularly when cooked or served raw, would leach lead from the pewter into the food. Consuming lead-contaminated food led to symptoms of lead poisoning, which included severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and even death. Unaware of the chemical interaction, people incorrectly attributed these illnesses directly to the tomato, reinforcing its “poisonous” label.
American Adoption and the Fruit-Vegetable Debate
The tomato’s acceptance in the American colonies was similarly slow, as the “poison apple” myth persisted across the Atlantic. Early American settlers largely avoided cultivating or consuming the fruit, viewing it with the same apprehension as Europeans. Attitudes began to shift in the early 19th century, partly due to influential figures like Thomas Jefferson, who cultivated tomatoes at Monticello and helped normalize their presence. As more people experimented with the fruit and culinary traditions developed, the tomato gradually shed its dangerous reputation and became more widely consumed.
Despite its culinary embrace, the tomato’s botanical classification became the subject of a legal dispute in the United States. In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Nix v. Hedden, a dispute over import tariffs. At the time, tariffs were imposed on vegetables but not on fruits. The plaintiff, a produce importer, argued tomatoes were botanically fruits, developing from the flower’s ovary and containing seeds. The Court ruled unanimously that for trade and tariffs, the tomato should be classified as a vegetable. The justices reasoned tomatoes were generally served as part of the main course, with dinner, or in soups and sauces, rather than as a dessert like other fruits. This pragmatic decision solidified its culinary, if not botanical, identity as a vegetable in the eyes of the law.