Food and Drink Atlas

How The World Eats
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Ingredient

Tomato

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

A fruit domesticated in Mesoamerica and the Andes, carried globally after the Columbian Exchange to become foundational in cuisines from Italy to West Africa to Peru.

Facts
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)Sourced to the subject's own account
from 500 BCE 1
Earliest Documented Use, To (Year)
to 500 BCE 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountThe exact date of domestication is unknown (source: the site of domestication was either western South America or Central America, exact date unknown); 500 BCE is the earliest firmly attested cultivation date, recorded as both bounds since no wider dated range is documented.
Origin Region
Mesoamerica and the Andes 2
Connections

Used By

Bloody Mary, Drinks
Butter Chicken, Dishes
Source Butter Chicken (Wikipedia)
Canning, Culinary Techniques
Chili con Carne, Dishes
Source Chili con Carne (Wikipedia)
Chorba Frik, Dishes
Club Sandwich, Dishes
Completo, Dishes
Gazpacho, Dishes
Greek Salad, Dishes
Jollof Rice, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Lomo Saltado, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Minestrone, Dishes
Pizza Margherita, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Shakshuka, Dishes
South African Cuisine, Cuisines
Source A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)Amanda Fiegl
Spanish Cuisine, Cuisines
Source Paella, Rice With Everything (Smithsonian Magazine)Derek Workman
Tabbouleh, Dishes
Sources
1. Tomato (Wikipedia)
WikipediaMesoamerica section
Quote, Mesoamerica section
By 500 BCE, it was already being cultivated in southern Mexico and probably other areas.
View the Source
2. The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014
  • entry: Tomato
    The tomato, Solanum lycopersicum
  • Used By: Lomo Saltado
  • Used By: Jollof Rice
  • Used By: Pizza Margherita
Paella, Rice With Everything (Smithsonian Magazine)
Derek Workman, Smithsonian Magazine, 2011Used By: Spanish CuisineView the Source
A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)
Amanda Fiegl, Smithsonian Magazine, 2010Used By: South African CuisineView the Source
Chili con Carne (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Chili con Carne, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Chili con Carne, Lead section
is a spicy stew of Mexican origin containing chili peppers (sometimes in the form of chili powder), meat (usually beef), tomatoes, and beans.
View the Source
Butter Chicken (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Butter Chicken, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Butter Chicken, Lead section
is a curry made from chicken cooked in a spiced tomato and butter-based gravy.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.