A scientific team reconstructs the evolution of the tomato, from when it was the size of a blueberry, how it reached the size of a cherry, shrank again and ended up domesticated in Mexico
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The journey of a tiny fruit born in the Andes that conquered the world
The journey of a tiny fruit born in the Andes that conquered the world
The journey of a tiny fruit born in the Andes that conquered the world
A scientific team reconstructs the evolution of the tomato, from when it was the size of a blueberry, how it reached the size of a cherry, shrank again and ended up domesticated in Mexico
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Gazpacho is a traditional Spanish drink and Italians could not imagine their cuisine without tomato dressings. However, its arrival in Europe is relatively recent and its use as food is even more recent. Hernán Cortés conquered Tenochtitlan in 1521 and it is likely that it was a member of that expedition who introduced the yellow tomatoes that the Aztecs consumed to Spain. The first known description of the plant is by Pietro Mattioli, an Italian naturalist, who wrote it in 1544, but its use in the cuisine of his country did not come until a century and a half later. The resemblance of the tomato to other poisonous plants with which it shares a family, such as the mandrake or the nightshade, meant that for a long time it was only used as an ornament. In 2020, it is the second vegetable most important in the world after the potato.