Diving online, I have come across this curiosity: Did you know that the tomato was known as the love apple for its aphrodisiac qualities? Yes, the pomme de l’amour was called in France, where some herbalists attributed these stimulating virtues to boost its sale. Or maybe not? What if our tomatoes are the key to Mediterranean passions?
Who knows? The fact is that this fruit, rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, so popular in our diet today, was not always so accepted. Now, until we grow in pots, But it was not always like this.
Its origin is located in the highlands of South America. In Mexico there is even archaeological evidence of its cultivation in 700 BC From Tenochtitlan, the Spanish introduced it to Europe in the XNUMXth century. And it was not always well accepted. It all started when the botanists of the old continent included the tomato in the family of nightshade: the same one to which belladonna belongs, a highly poisonous plant. On the other hand, there were those who believed that it was the tomato leaves that were eaten, they gave off a strong smell, and it turned out that they were toxic.
However, the Italians, who in the XNUMXth century had given the name of tomato (golden apple) with tomato, they were more practical. By the early XNUMXth century, tomatoes had become a popular food in the country, where sunny weather favored their cultivation. However, almost two hundred years later, the horticulturists of northern Europe were still unconvinced and cultivated them for medicinal or simply decorative purposes.
The old doubts were dispelled when people began to taste the fruit. From that moment its cultivation became popular. In 1870 they could already be bought in NY fresh tomatoes from California, thanks to the new transcontinental railroad. Decades earlier, the first pizzeria had been opened in the Italian city of Naples, thus skyrocketing the demand for tomatoes.
And during the XNUMXth century, a growing market for tomato soups, juices and sauces made the much-maligned tomato the world’s most popular fruit.
Rich, healthy, easy to grow and… aphrodisiac properties? who knows? The truth is that a true pleasure for the palate
Source: curious planet
More information – Growing tomatoes in pots
