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Golden apple of love

The saying "Love has passed - tomatoes wilted" is known, perhaps, to everyone. And, in fact, what does the tomato have to do with it and what their connection with love can be, probably not everyone wondered. And yet there is a connection, and a direct one. But let's start with history ...

The history of the origin of the tomato and its entry into human everyday life is quite entertaining. Scientists have identified the highlands of the western coast of South America as the homeland of the tomato. However, these wild tomatoes were not at all like our favorite tomatoes - they were small, tough and sour in taste, and were not considered edible (or conditionally edible). And the usual appearance of a tomato for us - large, red, round, fleshy - is the result of a mutation from a smaller and not very tasty vegetable.

Scientists believe that this mutation occurred in a plant in Central America, thanks to which the tomato was subsequently widespread. No evidence was found of the cultivation and consumption of tomatoes by local Aborigines prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in South America. Although this cannot be stated with absolute certainty. After all, it is known that many other fruits were cultivated in Peru for a long time, but they never became a topic for historical notes. This suggests that they were grown specifically for food, it was just that it was not recorded anywhere (or simply this data was not found).

There is no certainty that all the information was found. Many agronomic and economic knowledge was simply lost after the arrival of the Europeans.

There is an alternative theory that the culture of tomatoes, like the word itself "tomato", does not come from South America, but from Mexico, where the plant is considered one of the two most ancient species and is still found in the wild, pristine form. The Peruvian Indians knew tomatoes as early as the 5th century BC. They called them "Tumatl", which in translation means "berry".

Although the introduction of tomato into the category of agricultural crops could occur in these two regions simultaneously and independently of each other, this, again, is only speculation.

Be that as it may, the tomato eventually appeared in Central America. The Mayans and other inhabitants of the region drew attention to it, they began to use the fruits for food - and by the XIV century, tomatoes began to be cultivated in southern Mexico and other regions. The locals considered the tomato to be a sacred plant. There was a belief that they are fed by the gods who send grace to their land. Bracelets, amulets were made from dried fruits, and dried tomato beads served as a symbol of faith. There was even a whole ritual, the culmination of which was putting them on the figure of an idol. On the head of the pagan god was a wreath woven from flowers and stems of a tomato. It was also believed that if you eat tomato seeds, it will bestow divine power and the protection of the gods. And the fruits of these tomatoes were the size of currants.

Let's follow the historical path of tomato further. It turns out that the Spaniards conquered not only South America, but the whole world in terms of the spread of tomatoes. They first brought the tomato to their colonies in the Caribbean. They also brought it to the Philippines, from where the tomato went to the southeast of Asia, and then covered the entire Asian continent. And the Spaniards brought the tomato to Europe again! under the name "Pomie del Peru"which means "Peruvian apple"... In the conditions of the Mediterranean climate, the newcomer liked it, he successfully took root and went to multiply and multiply. It has been cultivated and eaten in Europe since 1540. There is historical evidence of tomato as an edible plant dating back to the 17th century. At least at this time he began to have who? - right, again the Spaniards! The earliest discovered cookbook with tomato recipes was found in 1692 in Naples. It is established that her author obtained these recipes from Spanish sources.

According to some scientific studies, tomatoes were not grown in Europe until 1590. One of the first who dared to grow (but not eat!) An unfamiliar plant was the English expert on medicinal herbs John Gerard. Collection Gerard's Herbal, published in 1597, also contained the first discourse on such a plant as the tomato outside of Spain. Gerard knew that tomatoes were eaten by the Spaniards and Italians. But, despite this, he considered the vegetable poisonous (the leaves, stem and unripe fruits of tomato, indeed, contain toxic substances - glycoalkaloids). Gerard's opinion had a great influence in society, which is why tomatoes in Britain and the North American colonies have long been considered inedible (although not necessarily poisonous). And by the middle of the 18th century, the whole of Britain was already eating tomatoes. According to the encyclopedia «»By the end of the 18th century, tomato was in daily use in soups, broths and as a side dish. Tomatoes were known here as "Apples of love", which may have arisen from an incorrect translation of the Italian expression pomo d'oro ("golden apple") how pomo d'amore ("apple of love")... From the name we can conclude that the first tomatoes were not red, but yellow-orange.

In North America, the earliest evidence for tomatoes dates back to 1710, when botanist William Salmon reported seeing them in South Carolina. It is most likely that tomatoes came to North America from the Caribbean, but there is a version that Italians-immigrants brought them there from Europe. In Italy, the tomato was either jokingly or seriously called a senior. Isn't that so, the hero of the fairy tale "Chippolino", Señor Tomato, immediately comes to mind?

By the mid-18th century, tomatoes were being grown on some plantations in the Carolina, and possibly other regions of the American South. It is possible that some people continued to regard them as poisonous during this time and grow as ornamental plants, and not for the purpose of eating - this continued until the 19th century.

Enlightened people like the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, who ate tomatoes in Paris and then sent some seeds home, knew that tomatoes were edible, but those who were uneducated felt differently. Jefferson liked tomatoes so much that he became the first American to grow them in his country for food.

There were many rumors about the toxicity of tomatoes. Even the famous scientist Karl Linnaeus was misled by them and considered the plant poisonous, designating it in his list of plants as "Solyanum mecopersicum"which meant "Wolf peach".

Tomatoes have even been used as a poison. So, the story gained great fame when in one of the taverns, in retaliation for the "poison" brought to Europe, the owner wanted to poison Christopher Columbus by seasoning one of the dishes with tomato. The great navigator, who saw through the plan, depicted an attack of nausea and death throes. The angry sailors, who dined there and learned about the dying Columbus, wreaked havoc on the inn. Meanwhile, the famous traveler got up and with an imperturbable air demanded from the unlucky poisoner the bill for the dinner. It is difficult to describe the faces of all those present at this event, but Columbus just as calmly threw money on the table and left.

In America, there is still a legend about how they wanted to poison the commander-in-chief of the North American rebel forces, General George Washington, with tomatoes. Red tomatoes were served. Fearing exposure, the would-be poisoner committed suicide before dinner was over, and the future US president, having tasted red juicy tomatoes, lived for many, many years.

In Victorian times, vegetable cultivation reached an industrial scale and moved to greenhouses.But pressure on landlords led industry to move westward in England to Littlehampton, and orchards to sell plants to Chichester. The British tomato industry has begun to shrink in size over the past fifteen years as cheap imported tomatoes from Spain flooded supermarket shelves.

If we talk about the volume of tomato cultivation in tsarist Russia, then in terms of the area allotted for this culture, no country in the world could compare with tsarist Russia, either then or now. And this is despite the fact that now the area under tomatoes in Europe has increased tenfold.

In France, the tomato appeared at the end of the 18th century, coming from Italy through Provence. Tomato has become not only one of the vegetable crops, but a culinary symbol of the French Revolution because of its red color. It is commonly used in French cuisine. France is home "Carolina" - a rare, mid-season tomato variety that retains the sharp taste of the variety "Brandy" and shape "Early Swedish"... It was first noted by the Italian monk Giacomo Tiramisunelli somewhere in the vicinity of Bordeaux, although modern researchers such as Dragos Niculae and Nicholas del Nisan claim that the origin of this variety is Belgium. Anyway, "Caroline" considered a rare delicacy among tomato connoisseurs not only in France but also abroad. This is the only tomato to be served with oatmeal - not the one made by Barrymore, but fig-fed songbird. Attempts have been made to genetically modify the Carolina, but the Belgian community has made a lot of noise and the variety has remained unchanged.

Tomatoes appeared in the Russian Empire in 1780. They, as well as everything new, were treated with the usual mistrust (remember, at least, the history of the potato). For a long time, tomatoes were considered poisonous in our country. Controversy flared up. Even a special session of the Senate was convened, where a report on tomatoes was considered - materials on the culture, appearance of plants and fruits, their toxicity or harmlessness, economic suitability were presented. The plants and fruits themselves were also brought. After a lengthy discussion, the tomatoes were recognized by the senators as edible, but tasteless. It would seem that the fate of tomatoes is a foregone conclusion. But the Russian ambassador to Italy sent Empress Catherine II several boxes of fruit, where there were also "love" fruits - tomatoes. The last word in the fate of tomatoes remained with the empress. And she liked the tomatoes so much that she ordered them to be delivered to her to her table from Italy on a regular basis. So the controversy about the toxicity and edibility of tomatoes was over. Soon, tomatoes began to be grown in the Crimea, Astrakhan and Georgia.

Interestingly, the Russian name "tomato" comes from the French phrase "La pomme de l'amour"which translates as "Apple of love"... "Golden apple" - "Pomod'oro" tomato fruits calledin Italy, and in Austria they called "Heavenly apple"... In spite of the unloved Germans in Russia, tomatoes were called contemptuously "dogs", "mad berries" and even "sinful fruits."

In the XIV century, when the tomato conquered Europe, it was considered an aphrodisiac. And not without reason! It turns out that tomatoes contain a fairly large amount of a substance similar in action to serotonin. This substance helps a person to relax and feel at ease, liberated. Therefore, if you are “out of sorts” or overly stressed, eat a tomato and your mood will improve! By the way, this substance does not lose its properties during heat treatment - so for liberation you can drink tomato juice, eat a spoonful of tomato paste or, at worst, ketchup.

Curiously, the controversy over the recognition of a tomato as a fruit or vegetable has not yet subsided. From a botanical point of view, the fruit of a tomato is a berry. So why is tomato considered a vegetable? It was not without the economy.So, in the United States, there was a special customs tax on the import of vegetables from other countries, in contrast to fruits. And so the Supreme Court of America in 1893 ruled - to consider a tomato a vegetable and to tax its import. So the tomato berry became a vegetable. However, in 2001, the European Union restored historical justice, and now in Europe the tomato is considered a fruit. Well, in Russia, tomatoes are still vegetables, and you shouldn't look for them on the shelves among apricots, apples and oranges.

Interestingly, in Germany there is a difference between tomato and tomato. Paradoxical, but true! There, tomatoes are called large, fleshy fruits and are used only for processing - for sauces, gravy, vegetable caviar, etc., and tomatoes are medium-sized, strong, juicy fruits that are eaten fresh and used to make salads.

For a long time, tomatoes were grown as an ornamental plant: in Germany - as an indoor, potted, in France - as the best decoration for gazebos, in England and Russia they were grown in greenhouses among rare flowers.

It was in the tomato pavilions that appointments were made, adultery happened. If a woman, before meeting a man, decorated her outfit or hairstyle with tomato flowers, this meant consent to a romantic relationship. Well, getting a red tomato fruit as a gift was tantamount to a declaration of love.

Without signs of attention, love passes as quickly as tomatoes wither without proper care - this is how they became a symbol of the frailty of everything, the transience of feelings, and became a proverb.

Love you and unfading tomatoes!

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