Tomato

Tomatoes originated in the coastal highlands of western South America where they were grown by the Aztecs and Mayans. They grow wild in Ecuador, northern Chile, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands—they are thought to have been brought here in the stomachs of turtles. The first written description of tomatoes, by the Italian Pietro Andrea Matthiola in 1544, referred to them as Mala aurea, or “golden apples.” However, their close relationship to poisonous plants, such as the woody nightshade vine, meant they didn’t receive the same regard when introduced more widely. (This suspicion isn’t completely unfounded—tomato leaves do contain the poisonous chemical tomatine.) The tomato’s great flavor didn’t hide for long, however, and it soon became a welcome addition to cuisines around the world.