Red, fragrant, fleshy members of the nightshade family are for many the favorites of the summer table. Indeed, tomatoes are an indispensable ingredient for hundreds of dishes: from salads to side dishes, from soups to seasonings. And there are even more interesting facts about this vegetable (or berry?) Than recipes with it.
1. Tomatoes began to be cultivated by the ancient Aztecs and Incas at the beginning of the XNUMXth century AD, but they first came to Europe only in the middle of the XNUMXth century.
2. The Aztecs called this fruit “Tomatl”, the French changed the name in their own way, having received the familiar “tomato” to everyone. The name “tomato”, in turn, comes from Italian and means “golden apple”. However, Italians are not the only ones who compared the tomato to an apple: the French also called it the apple of love, and the Germans called it the apple of paradise. He was even considered an aphrodisiac. But in fact, tomatoes do not have such properties. And what products are available, you can read HERE.
3. In Russia, tomatoes (as well as potatoes) were treated with caution, calling them “mad berries” or “dogs”. There was even a belief according to which it was believed that whoever tasted these fruits would certainly lose his mind.
4. Tomatoes were considered poisonous not only in Russia, but also in enlightened Europe. But they were still grown – for beauty. Remember, secular ladies pinned bouquets of potato flowers to their chests when potatoes had just appeared. They were afraid to eat her, but they used her for beauty. The myth about the toxicity of tomatoes was dispelled by the American military Robert Johnson. He arranged something like a live broadcast: in front of a crowd of people, he ate an incredible amount of tomatoes and for some reason did not die. Only after that the tomatoes began to be eaten fearlessly.
5. The biological identity of tomato fruits is a confusing matter. Botanically speaking, a tomato is a berry. In 1893, the US Supreme Court ruled to consider tomatoes as vegetables, which, however, can be found economically as well: unlike fruits, the import of vegetables was subject to customs duties. The adjudicating judge concluded: “From a botanical point of view, a tomato, like cucumbers and beans, is a fruit or a berry because it grows on a vine and comes from a seed. But in the usual understanding of consumers, the above fruits are vegetables, as they grow in the gardens of citizens. And also due to the fact that they are usually eaten for lunch after soup along with meat and fish and do not serve as a dessert, which distinguishes them from fruits. “ In 2001, the European Union restored historical justice, at least in the Old World, by ordering the tomato to be considered a fruit. However, in everyday life, the tomato is still most often considered a vegetable.
6. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced annually in the world, which is 16 million more than the production of bananas. The third place is taken by apples, followed by oranges and melons. Most tomatoes are grown in China – 16% of the global production.
7. There are at least 10 varieties of tomatoes in the world. The smallest tomato is less than 000 centimeters in diameter, and the largest reaches a weight of almost 2 kilograms – this miracle of agronomy was grown in the USA.
8… There are opposing points of view regarding the benefits and harms of tomatoes for human health.
For example, it is believed that fruits contain a large amount of oxalic acid, which is not absorbed by the body, binds calcium, forming insoluble oxalate compounds with it. The latter, in turn, are deposited in the kidneys in the form of stones. For comparison: the content of oxalic acid in ripe tomatoes does not exceed 5 mg per 100 g, while in potatoes it is not less than 40 mg, and in sorrel – 360 mg.
On the other hand, fresh tomatoes are the perfect food for replenishing the loss of minerals. They contain potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium and phosphorus. And there are also quite a few vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, E, but most of all are vitamin C.
9… The tomato is almost entirely – 95 percent – water. And the remaining 5 percent are responsible for the entire taste, aroma, meatiness and usefulness for the body.
10… Tomatoes contain a lot of lycopene. This organic compound, which gives the fruit a rich red color, is a very powerful natural antioxidant that surpasses such recognized “free radical scavengers” as vitamins C and E. The use of lycopene prevents cancer and cardiovascular disease. To maximize the benefits of tomato salad, season it with sunflower oil, because in combination with vegetable fats, lycopene is absorbed much better.
11… Another very useful property of tomatoes is their low calorie content (22 kcal per 100 g). And chromium, which is a part of tomatoes, promotes the fastest saturation and prevents attacks of “brutal” hunger. Remember that the “dosage” should be limited to those suffering from allergies to red vegetables and fruits.
12… Tomatoes, like all vegetables of the nightshade family (potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers), are rich in nicotinic acid. If a sufficient amount of it enters the human body, then he simply does not want to smoke. Therefore, those who dream of getting rid of nicotine addiction can be advised to stock up on “anti-tobacco” vegetables, including tomatoes.
13… There are more nutrients in red tomatoes than in yellow varieties.
14… Tomatoes retain all useful properties after heat treatment. Moreover, it is believed that they become even healthier in sauces or in vegetable stews. They also tolerate canning well – 68% of chefs prefer to use canned tomatoes, not only because of convenience, but also due to their richer aroma. In addition, nutrients are absorbed from such tomatoes much better: half a glass of canned tomatoes gives the body 3 times more lycopene than one fresh tomato.
15. Tomatoes can be eaten in any form, with one exception: they should not be eaten raw at night. The fact is that tomatoes have a rather strong diuretic effect, so you can not count on a restful sleep with such a dinner.
16… More than 100 methods of cooking and eating tomatoes are known: fresh, boiled, canned, fried, stuffed, in salads, vinaigrettes, soups, salted, pickled and even dried.
17… Low temperatures have a detrimental effect on tomatoes, so try to avoid storing tomatoes in the refrigerator whenever possible. A good tomato should be fleshy, with smooth skin without dents or damage, bright red or red-orange in color.
18… Unripe tomatoes will ripen quickly if they are wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and left at room temperature.
19… Tomatoes contain not only lycopene, but also serotonin. Therefore, they cheer up no worse than bananas, chocolate and other well-known “happiness boosters”.
20. One of the most popular salads, cucumbers and tomatoes, is actually harmful. This is because these two vegetables (yes, let’s call them vegetables for the sake of simplicity) are incompatible in the same dish.
“Cucumbers are alkaline vegetables and tomatoes are acidic. When these products are used together, a slightly soluble salt is formed. Which then ends up in the kidneys in the form of stones, ”explains Yulia Chumicheva, gastroenterologist.
Marina Malyar, Olga Nesmelova