Tomato - The Magical Food of the New World

Author: (USA) Smith
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Tomatoes are one of the most popular fruits and vegetables in the world today, cherished by people regardless of wealth, status, or region, from the Americas to Australia, from Northern Europe to South Africa. Tomatoes have satisfied people's cravings. However, before the 18th century, eating tomatoes was once taboo because people believed they were poisonous. Another view held that tomatoes were an aphrodisiac, known as the "love fruit," and thus they were forbidden by missionaries at the time. Who was the first person to eat a tomato? How did the tomato travel from South America across the oceans to North America, Europe, and all over the world? And how did it evolve from a legendary poison into a highly popular fashionable food? Author Andrew Smith, through compelling research, depicts the history of tomatoes entering human diets and answers these fascinating questions.