LYCOPERSICON LYCOPERSICUMOur modern tomatoes are the result of many generations of selection, starting with pea-sized cherry tomatoes that still grow wild in Peru, Ecuador, and other places in South America. This wild species was domesticated in Mexico, where the Aztecs called them xitomatl (the root -tomatl means plump fruit). The Spanish dropped the prefixes and the final l, and the name became tomate. It was taken over into English as tomato, its vowels pronounced as in the existing word “potato.” Tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers, along with the eggplants already known in the Old World, and along with tobacco, are members of the Solanaceae family—the nightshades. Sixteenth century Europeans thought tomatoes were poisonous (although they had no such qualms about sweet and spicy peppers) and grew them as ornamental plants. Later they were thought to be an aphrodisiac and became known as “love apples,” or pomme d’amour in French and pomodoro in Italian.
The sensual nature of the tomato is celebrated wildly in Spain these days at La Tomatina in Buñol during the Festival of San Luis Bertran the last Wednesday of August. At La Tomatina, thousands
of people gather in the town. Truckloads upon truckloads of tomatoes are brought in as ammunition, and the celebrants hurl tomatoes at one another until the people, the streets, and everything is one sticky, gooey, sweet mess.
Despite La Tomatina, Spain is not the top tomato-producing country in the world. That honor goes to Russia, followed by the United States, Egypt, and Italy. Perhaps the Mediterranean countries have perfected the use of tomatoes, though. A perfect lunch might be a piece of good bread topped with
a crushed ripe tomato, a clove of garlic sliced on top, a pinch of sea salt, and a quick drizzle of olive oil.
THE ORGANIC FACTOR
The best way to get the full effect is to grow them yourself, but barring that, visit an organic farm and pick a basket yourself, or at least buy them vine-ripened from an organic grower at the farmers’ market or the organic food store. Watch out for conventional tomatoes. Not only are agricultural chemicals used, but genetic engineers have been able to reduce the amount of cell-wall softening enzymes in certain tomato strains so they stay harder longer, allowing longer shelf life in the supermarkets. You get none of that when you buy organic.
NUTRITION
In addition to its cancer-fighting properties, just 4 ounces of raw tomato give us 30 percent of our daily need for vitamin C, 10 percent of vitamin A, 7 percent of iron for men and 3 percent for women, and almost 5 percent of folic acid, along with beta-carotene, lycopene, and minerals.
TYPES
There are three main types of tomato: cherry or grape cluster tomatoes, which are either round or pear-shaped and up to the size of golf balls; regular tomatoes that can grow up to eight or nine inches in diameter but are usually half that size; and Italian plum tomatoes that are meatier than other types. They can also be categorized by skin color: white, red, green, purple, multicolored, black, orange, and yellow.
SEASONALITY
When the peak tomato season of mid to late August ends, you are left with meager choices: Roma tomatoes from Mexico; bright red but tasteless and expensive cluster tomatoes grown hydroponically in Holland; local hydroponic tomatoes; commercial tomatoes from Florida gassed with ethylene to turn red (although not ripe); and relatively tasteless winter tomatoes grown organically in the warmer parts of southern Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. So in the off season I go for canned low-salt or no-salt certified organic tomatoes. I know these are grown and canned at peak season, meaning peak flavor. Tomatoes can beautifully, and I highly recommend canning your own if you are able.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Because the true essence of tomato is only found when they are vine-ripe and garden-fresh, their quality peaks about the same time that summer does in mid to late August. Their texture ranges from sloppy-juicy to dry and mealy. Tomatoes can be on the mild and sweet side, like the yellow pear or plum-shaped varieties, or on the acid side like Beefsteaks, or a nice balance of the two, like Brandywines. They can be found in sizes ranging from as small as a pea to as large as a softball, from round to flattened to pear-shaped and irregular.
STORAGE AND PREPARATION
The tomato’s culinary properties surpass almost any other vegetable in the pantry—just make sure they are kept in the pantry rather than the refrigerator, where they quickly lose quality.
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