Pages

Dec 30, 2012

Tomato

Of South American origin, the tomato was brought to Europe in 1596. At first cultivated as a curiosity, it was considered to be a violent poison. This vegetable-fruit had to wait more than two centuries before its nutritional qualities were recognized. President Thomas Jefferson cultivated the tomato in his garden but didn’t eat the fruit. (‘Inventions and Discoveries’, by Vale-Anne Giscard d’Estaing and Mark Young)