Why the Tomato Was Feared in Europe for More Than 200 Years
Unravel the intriguing history of the humble tomato, once a symbol of fear and superstition in Europe. Discover how this vibrant fruit, now a staple in many cuisines, spent over two centuries shrouded in mystery and dread.
In the late 1700s, a large percentage of Europeans feared the tomato
A nickname for the fruit was the “poison apple” because it was thought that aristocrats got sick and died after eating them, but the truth of the matter was that wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, which were high in lead content.
- Because tomatoes are so high in acidity, when placed on tableware, the fruit would leach lead from the plate, resulting in many deaths from lead poisoning.
The fear, it seems, had subsided.
With the rise of agricultural societies, farmers began investigating the tomato’s use and experimented with different varieties
- In the 1850s, the name tomato was so highly regarded that it was used to sell other plants at market
- Joseph Campbell figured out that tomatoes keep well when canned and popularized condensed tomato soup
- Today, tomatoes are consumed around the world in countless varieties
Love Apples
John Parkinson, apothecary to King James I and botanist for King Charles I, procalimed that while love apples were eaten by the people in the hot countries to ‘coole and quench the heate and thirst of the hot stomaches,” British gardeners grew them only for curiousity and fo the beauty of the fruit.
The tomato became an acceptable edible fruit in many regions, but the United States of America weren’t as united in the 18th and early 19th century.
The first known reference to tomato in the British North American Colonies was published in 1710
- Word of the tomato spread slowly along with plenty of myths and questions from farmers
- Hundreds of tomato recipes appeared in local periodicals and newspapers, but fears and rumors of the plant’s potential poison lingered.
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