Products: Tomatoes

tomatoes Low in saturated fat and sodium, and very low in cholesterol. The tomato is also a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin b6, folate, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamins A & C, potassium and manganese.

Originally cultivated by the famously blood-thirsty Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D., the tomato is native to the Americas. The Spanish explorer Cortez conquered the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, later to be renamed Mexico City, in 1521. It is presumed that the tomato found its' way across the Atlantic shortly after, when explorers brought back seed to Europe from Mexico.

The name "tomato" derives from 'tomatl,' its name in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people. The English form 'tomate' first appeared in the 17th century, and was later modified to 'tomato,' probably under the influence of the more familiar 'potato.' Most of these early fruits were yellow, and became known as 'manzanas' (apples) and 'pomi d'oro' (apple of gold). They were considered poisonous but appreciated for their beauty.

Superstition once had it that placing ripe tomatoes on a mantel when first entering a new dwelling would guarantee future prosperity or ward off evil spirits. Pincushions the color and shape of ripe tomatoes were used instead if ripe tomatoes were not available. To this day, pincushions are most often red.