Italian Tomatoes

It is hard to imagine that our beloved tomato, fundamental to all cuisines of the western world, began its culinary history quite humbly, and was considered at one time to be inedible and even poisonous. It is not so hard to imagine, however, that it was the Italians, with their agricultural expertise and dedication to growing food, who were responsible for the tomato, as we know it today.

Having first come to Italy from America around 1550, this originally small yellow fruit (hence the Italian name pomodoro, golden apple) was not consumed, but grown as a garden ornament. It took two centuries for the Italians to decide to eat the tomato, but in the process they developed from the first crude American fruit a plum tomato so superlative that it was re-imported to the United States. Thanks to the Italians, the tomato now ranks as indispensable on both sides of the Atlantic, and is a major food crop in both Italy and the United States.