THE TOMATO

Evening Star, Issue 21742, 9 June 1934, Page 25

THE TOMATO

Some intereting facts relative to the introduction of the tomato into Europe were given by Mr E. A. Bunyard, in the course of a recent lecture to members of the Horticultural Club* ine tomato,” he said, “ illustrates very well the power of prejudice to keep a useful food Irom general use. On its arrival from Central America it was naturally suspect as belonging to a poisonous family, the Solanums. Matthiolus, in 1554, describes it under the name ‘ Pomi d’Oro,’ and states that it had recently arrived in Italy. I'rom this the Italian name of to-day, Ipomidoro, was developed and the I rench, probably from this word, arrived, at ‘ Pomme d’Amour,’ a fact which should have led to its popularity m that country. It was not, however, until the early nineteenth century that the tomato entered the classic French cuisine and one reason was probably the legend, not unknown a century later in this country, that it had caused cancer. . “ For 200 years, therefore, its culture was confined to Spain, Portugal and Provence and to-day dishes containing, tomatoes are known as a 1 Espagnole, a la Portugaise and Provencal. There is plenty of evidence that the tomato was rare in Paris about 1870„ and it was the irruption of the revolutionaries from the south, the Marseillais, who brought it to notice and so into fashionable French cookery, where it finally blended With lobster to make Homard a I'Amencane (the American vegetable), perhaps one of tho most enduring fruits of fhe revolutionary period. . “In America it followed a similar course and it was not until after the Civil War that it reached tho northern States, although well known in the south. In England it was known to Gerarde, but ill the middle of the eighteenth century its only use was for medicine and its great popularity began about 1880 in London.” —‘ The Gardeners’ Chronicle.’