When did people start eating tomatoes?

Nematode · August 2, 2015

When did people start eating/cultivating tomatoes?
I have heard stories that they were not eaten and called wolves apples for a very long time, and fairly recently cultivated. I'm not sure I believe it.

AlittleSalt · August 2, 2015

I've read that people used to think tomatoes were poisonous in Europe back in the 1600s. But it is thought that tomatoes were first used as food back around 500 BC.

Cole_Robbie · August 3, 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

both toxic and inedible varieties discouraged many people from attempting to consume or prepare them.

That quote from the wiki article is talking about Italy in the 15-1600s. I wonder if there really were toxic tomato varieties?

**carolyn137** · August 3, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nematode

When did people start eating/cultivating tomatoes?
I have heard stories that they were not eaten and called wolves apples for a very long time, and fairly recently cultivated. I'm not sure I believe it.

Here's a Google search, and it's not wolf apple, it's Wolf Peach.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...lf+peach+toxic

Carolyn

Worth1 · August 3, 2015

About the time they started making bacon and mayonnaise.

Worth

Nematode · August 3, 2015

Thanks for that search Carolyn.
Very interesting stuff.

Edible wolf peach

August 2, 2015	#1
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	When did people start eating tomatoes? When did people start eating/cultivating tomatoes? I have heard stories that they were not eaten and called wolves apples for a very long time, and fairly recently cultivated. I'm not sure I believe it.

August 3, 2015	#3
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato both toxic and inedible varieties discouraged many people from attempting to consume or prepare them. That quote from the wiki article is talking about Italy in the 15-1600s. I wonder if there really were toxic tomato varieties? Last edited by Cole_Robbie; August 3, 2015 at 03:09 AM.

August 2, 2015	#2
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I've read that people used to think tomatoes were poisonous in Europe back in the 1600s. But it is thought that tomatoes were first used as food back around 500 BC.

August 3, 2015	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	About the time they started making bacon and mayonnaise. Worth