The
tomato is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family.
The taxonomic name is either Solanum lycopersicum or Lycopersicon
esculentum depending on the reference. Originating in
South and Central America, the tomato is now grown world-wide
for its brightly coloured (usually red, from the pigment
lycopene) edible fruits. The word tomato is of Nahuatl
origin.Pre-history The tomato is believed to have been
first cultivated in ancient Peru, where several wild species
of green tomatoes still grow. Then about three thousand
years ago it was brought to Mexico. It is an offshot of
the Mexican lineage L. esculentum cerasiforme which is
thought to be the direct ancestor of the modern tomato.
The pottery of ancient Peruvian city-states do not appear
to mention the tomato, this has led some botanists to
conclude that the cultivation of the tomato was done in
Mexico. However this is not conclusive as many other fruits
in continuous cultivation in Peru are not present in the
pottery. |
