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Tomato
Scientific Name: Lycopersicum esculentum
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The Tomato originated in South America, but its botanical name Lycopersicum esculentum was once applied to an Egyptian plant, and only later transferred to the American fruit. The first names given to the tomato, in the sixteenth century, "Peruvian apple" or "Apple of Peru" would seem to indicate a Peruvian origin. Most botanists agree with the theory that Peru was an important area of early cultivation. The term "tomato" by which the plant is known in many European languages (French, Spanish, German, English), derives from an ancient Mexican word, tomatl. The more romantic French name of pomme d'amour that was given to the tomato when it first came to Europe, has remained as a little used synonym in English, "love apple." It was introduced into Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese, who used it as a vegetable. Its cultivation quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean and, more slowly, in the northern part of central Europe. In the second half of the eighteenth century, it was listed in the catalogs of a famous Parisian horticultural firm as an ornamental plant. Now, it is grown all over the world, and because of the highly refined techniques of hothouse cultivation, is available throughout the year at a relatively moderate price, compared with other out-of-season vegetables. The wild parental form is thought to be Lycopersicum cerasiforme, which grows wild in Peru, the Antilles, and Texas. The many cultivars known today are derived from this wild species through a long succession of hybridizations and selections. Commercially the large, round, smooth or ribbed tomatoes are suitable both for immediate use and for the canning industries, and the pear-shaped tomatoes, among them the classical San Marzano, are also good for the table or for canning, especially when peeled. However, the cherry tomatoes, strictly related to the Lycopersicum cerasiforme, which represent the original form, have been little cultivated in the past, but are now becoming popular in the United States. These tomatoes have red or yellow skin when completely ripe. Golden Jubilee is one of the most widely used in the United States. Among the large umber of tomato cultivars some of the most popular ones are Burpee's Big Boy, Burpeeana Early, Beefsteak, Manalucie, Rutgers, Tropic, Valiant, Ramapo, Fireball, and Jetster. Presto, Small Fry, Basket Pak, Tiny Tim, Red Cherry, Yellow Plum and Yellow Pear are popular small-fruited tomatoes. The tomato can be eaten raw when still slightly unripe, as a salad flavored with a little garlic or a pinch of oregano, or cooked in many different ways. Commercially it is used to make tomato paste, catsup and tomato juice, which is widely drunk, both on its own, and mixed with alcohol. The raw tomato has a modest nutritive value, water representing the largest part of its weight, more than 90%; protein less than 1%; carbohydrates 4 - 5%, and ash 1%. The calories in 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) are 23 - 24. From a vitamin standpoint 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of tomatoes provide 1 mg. of vitamin A, traces of thiamin and riboflavin, and a moderate amount of vitamin C (30 mg.). The tomato is also easily digestible, and its bright color helps stimulate the appetite. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]