Tomatoes
The tomato is a member of the nightshade family related to peppers, potatoes and tobacco, yet tastes nothing like any of these. Botanically it is a fruit, yet resembles a vegetable when eaten and cooked. The tomato was originally thought a poison but is now one of the more popular fruits in the American diet.
Some of the Types
Globe tomatoes are the most popular form of the tomato. As the name suggests they are round tomatoes, usually medium in size. Globe tomatoes are juicy but contain more water than other varieties.
Cherry (red or yellow) tomatoes are the small cherry-shaped variety. The yellow cherry tomatoes are more flavorful (more juicy) than the red tomato variety. They are great raw but shine when sautéed because the heat highlights their sweetness.
Plum/Roma tomatoes are oval shaped are perfect for cooking and making into sauces because they contain less water than other tomato varieties. The less water the tomato contains, the thicker the tomato sauce.
A Little History
Tomatoes were originally thought to be a poisonous food, especially in America. As a result, tomatoes were typically consumed only by the elites who knew of European (particularly French) recipes that utilized tomatoes. It wasn't until the 1830s that the tomato became popular.
It was in the 1830s that Dr. John Cook Bennett began claiming amazing health benefits of the tomato-including the tomatoes ability to fight a wide range of diseases (everything from diarrhea to cholera). This led to mass exposure to tomatoes and while the claimed health benefits were dismissed, the popularity of the tomato remained.
