Today, the tomato is a standard vegetable (ok, it’s really a fruit but that debate can be left for another day) that is native to most kitchens in the United States. In fact, when we consider foods like spaghetti sauce, ketchup, and pizza, we realize that tomatoes have made their way into the most popular American dinners. But has the tomato always been this popular?
Below are a few interesting facts about the history of the tomato that you might consider next time you start to slice up an Heirloom or a Roma in your beautiful Lady Lake apartment:
- The tomato was said to have originated in the Americas around 700 A.D. as an Aztec agricultural product.
- Exploration between America and Europe brought tomatoes to Southern European countries like Spain and Italy in the 1500s.
- For about the next 300 years, tomatoes were primarily eaten by the poor lower classes. Why? Wealthy people believed that tomatoes were poisoned because the upper classes ate off of pewter and lead plates. The tomato’s acidity caused the lead to seep into the food, which sometimes resulted in illness and death.
- In the 1800s, immigrants began streaming into American ports, many of them bringing produce from the Old World, including tomatoes.
- And last but not least, the creation of pizza solidified the tomato’s popularity. In the late 1800s, Queen Margherita visited Naples and in her honor, a flatbread with the colors of the Italian flag was served: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil).
Now the next time you make pizza with tomatoes or tomato sauce in your apartment at The Quarters, you know that you’re taking part in a very long history of culinary evolution. For more information about the kitchen amenities at our apartments for rent in Lady Lake, or any other community amenities, contact our leasing office today.
