Tomato

Also known asSolanum lycopersicum · 番茄 · 西红柿

Name: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) — a juicy, usually red fruit, eaten as a vegetable, grown in thousands of varieties, from cherry to beefsteak to plum. Botanically a fruit, it is treated as a vegetable in cooking, and in 1893 the US Supreme Court ruled it a vegetable for tariff purposes.

Description

The tomato is native to western South America and was domesticated in Mexico, where the Aztec word tomatl gave rise to its name. It reached Europe after the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, but was long feared as poisonous, because it belongs to the nightshade family, and it was slow to be accepted. It eventually became central to Italian, Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, and later the world.

Cooked tomatoes are among the best dietary sources of lycopene, a red pigment studied for heart and prostate health, because heat breaks down cell walls and makes it more absorbable, especially with a little oil. China, India and the United States are the leading producers.

Main nutrition value

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K and folate, and are among the best sources of the antioxidant lycopene, especially when cooked.

How best to be consumed

Tomatoes are eaten raw and cooked, and cooking brings out different qualities.

1. Eat raw, in salads, sandwiches and salsas, when ripe and in season.
2. Cook with olive oil to boost the absorption of lycopene, as in sauces, soups and stews.
3. Roast with garlic and herbs, or sun-dry for a concentrated flavour.
4. Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature, not in the fridge, which dulls the flavour and texture.
5. Use canned tomatoes, which are just as nutritious and often more consistent in winter.

Overconsumption could cause…

Tomatoes are safe and healthy in food amounts.

1. Heartburn or reflux from the acidity, particularly in sensitive people.
2. Reactions in a small number of people sensitive to nightshade plants, such as joint or digestive complaints, though evidence is limited.
3. A lot of salt and sugar in processed tomato products such as ketchup, sauces and soups.
4. Itchy mouth or reactions in some people, including those with a tomato allergy.

GroupsFruit VegetablesNightshade family (Solanaceae)Low fatLow sodiumFresh

Made intoKetchupTomato JuiceTomato Sauce

Related foodsBeefsteak TomatoHeirloom TomatoBell Pepper / CapsicumGreen PepperJalapeñoEggplant / Aubergine

Wikipedia — Tomato, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato