A tomato is the fruit of a tomato plant from the family of Solanaceae. The plant can be annual or perennial, grows in both the northern and southern regions. Tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, in the open field, on balconies and even on a windowsill. There are many varieties of tomatoes, as tomatoes are very common and are used in the culinary, cosmetic and medicine industries.
A bit of history
Homeland of tomatoes called South America. There still meet wild and semi-cultural forms of the plant. In the 16th century, the tomato was introduced to Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and other European countries.
Did you know? The name of the tomato comes from the Italian pomo d'oro (in translation - "golden apple"). In the Aztecs, these fruits were called "matles", while the French renamed this name as tomate - a tomato.
In Europe, tomatoes are bred as an exotic plant. The first culinary dish using tomatoes was mentioned in Spanish recipes.
Other sources claim that the homeland of tomatoes is Peru, However, this fact is no longer known due to the lost knowledge. There is also a version about the origin of tomatoes (both the plant itself and the word) from Mexico, where the plant grew wild and its fruits were less than modern tomatoes we know. Later, by the 16th century, tomatoes in Mexico began to be introduced into the crop.
In the XVIII century, the tomato was brought to Russia (through Turkey and Romania). For the first time he proved that such a plant as a tomato can be eaten, by agronomist A.T. Bolotov. For a long time, the tomato was considered an ornamental plant with poisonous fruits. Planting already tomato vegetable culture appeared in the Crimea. Among the names were such as "red eggplant", "love apple", and even - "wolfberry".
In the summer of 1780, Empress Catherine II tried for the first time what kind of fruit the tomato had. They became a tomato, brought from Rome as a fruit. At the same time, in remote areas of the empire, this fruit was already known for a long time, it was grown in the south of Russia, in Astrakhan, Georgia, and Tavrida, and was eaten as a vegetable. In the northern part of Russia, the “love apple” served as an ornamental plant with beautiful bright fruits.
Important! Tomatoes improve digestion and metabolism. Phytoncides contained in them show the antibacterial effect of tomatoes.
Tomato: is it a berry vegetable or fruit?
Tomatoes are a fairly widespread plant, therefore, in different countries and cultures there were often questions about vegetable, fruit or berry whether its fruits are tomatoes.
Why tomatoes are considered a berry
Let's try to find out if a tomato is a berry or a vegetable.
A berry is a fruit of a herbaceous or shrubby plant, with juicy flesh and seeds inside. The tomato fully meets this definition, being the fruit of a herbaceous plant with a thin skin, juicy pulp and a large number of seeds inside.
It is also interesting to read about such berries as yoshta, dogwood, blueberries, viburnum, cornplants, barberry, blueberry, black chokeberry, gooseberry, juniper, prince, cloudberry and blackberry.Berry fruits are divided into the following types:
- Berry (they include tomato, blueberry, blueberry, currant, gooseberry)
- Apple (these are apples, pears, mountain ash)
- Pomeranets (citrus fruits - orange, mandarin)
- Granatina (this is pomegranate fruit)
- Pumpkin (this type includes watermelon, melon, zucchini, pumpkin)
In addition, the berries are divided into real and false. A distinctive feature of this berry from the point of view of botany is the presence of seeds inside the pericarp. It is worth noting that the tomato corresponds to this feature. So, you can positively answer the question whether the tomato is a berry.Did you know? Habitual berries in our understanding, for example, strawberries or strawberries, are false berries, since the seeds are outside. Also raspberries, blackberries do not belong to berries at all in botany, their fruits are multi-peasant.
Tomato - Vegetable
Technological systematics explains that according to the method of cultivation, similar to other vegetables, a tomato is a vegetable. This is an annual crop, and the crop of tomatoes is harvested as a result of processing and loosening the soil, which takes a short time.
Vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, garlic, onions, chili peppers, cabbage, okra, zucchini, squash and lagenaria are among the main sources of vitamins.From a culinary point of view, tomato fruits are also classified as vegetables by the method of processing and eating. Most often, they are combined with fish and meat, and also used independently in snacks, first and second dishes, and not in desserts.
All this allows you to call a tomato just a vegetable.
Important! Fruits of tomato can be called a natural antidepressant. The tomato contains mood enhancing gThe hormone of happiness is serotonin, as well as tyramine, which turns into serotonin already in the body.
Why are tomatoes called fruit
Because of the shape, color, juiciness of the tomato, questions arise whether it is a fruit or a vegetable.
The definition of "fruit" describes it as a hard or soft part of a plant in the form of a fruit with seeds. Fruit is formed as a result of pollination of a flower from the ovary. Vegetable is an overgrown herbaceous or root system of a plant. From this it follows that all the fruits of plants with seeds can be called fruits, which is why a tomato is often called a fruit.
There is also a scientific description, according to which the fruit is the edible reproductive part of a plant with seeds, which develops from the ovary of a flower. However, in cooking, tomatoes are used as vegetables. Therefore, it is so difficult to find out who the tomato is a vegetable or not.
Did you know? Tomatoes contain lycopene - a substance that slows the aging of body cells, protecting it from harmful influences. Lycopene is not destroyed by heat treatment.
To summarize: berry, vegetable or fruit?
For a long time, people could not figure out how to call a tomato: is it a berry, a fruit or a vegetable? The main reason for these disagreements is that there is a scientific and culinary approach to the definition of different types of fruits and parts of a plant. In terms of botany, Tomato is a berry, tomato fruit, formed as a result of pollination of a flower. In cooking, and just in everyday life, a tomato is called a vegetable, implying at the same time cooking basic and snack dishes from it. According to the method of cultivation, the tomato plant is also referred to as vegetable crops.
In English, there is no distinction between the concepts of "fruit" and "fruit". Therefore, it was believed that Tomato is a fruit. However, in 1893, the US Supreme Court ruled that A tomato is a vegetable. The reason for this was the customs duties, which apply only to vegetables, but the fruit could be transported free of charge. In 2001, a similar question arose again in Europe, and now the tomato was recognized not as a vegetable, but again as a fruit.
Our language and customs system does not provide us with the problems of determining whether a tomato belongs to vegetables, fruits or berries. Therefore, guided by scientific and cultural concepts and knowledge about tomato and its fruits, it is safe to say that Tomato is a berry, which is used as a vegetable.
The use of tomatoes in food, as well as in the cosmetic industry, and even in medicine, due to the richness of its internal content. Tomato contains:
- 94% water
- 4% carbohydrate
- 1% protein
- fiber
- fat
- vitamins A, C, K, B-B1, E, PP, etc.
- organic acids.
Tomato is one of the most popular cultures in the modern world. The reason for this is the presence of its fruits - tomatoes, wonderful taste, nutrition, dietary and even decorative properties.
