From its origins as a wild plant in the Americas to the thousands of varieties grown around the world today, tomatoes have evolved into one of the world’s most popular food crops. Today’s tomatoes began as wild plants in the Andes, growing in parts of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Another question we ran across in our research was “Where do tomatoes come from?”.
The first tomato plant is believed to have originated in the highlands of Peru where it was transported to Mexico and domesticated by 500 BC. The first type of domesticated tomato was probably a small yellow variety grown by the Aztecs. Native versions were small, like cherry tomatoes, and most likely yellow rather than red.
Where are tomatoes grown?
Numerous varieties of the tomato plant are widely grown in temperate climates across the world, with greenhouses allowing for the production of tomatoes throughout all seasons of the year.
The tomato is native to western South America and Central America. In 1519, Cortez discovered tomatoes growing in Montezuma’s gardens and brought seeds back to Europe where they were planted as ornamental curiosities, but not eaten. Most likely the first variety to reach Europe was yellow in color,.
Another popular inquiry is “How did Tomatoes spread across the world?”.
Our answer is that the small fruits of the plant look very little like today’s cultivated tomatoes. Centuries of planting, growing and saving tomato seeds resulted in the fruit we recognize today, spreading through the Americas, then to Europe and eventually around the globe.
What is the origin of tomato?
The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word “tomate”, from which the English word tomato derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico.
Tomato has been consumed since the ancient times . The Aztecs of South America used the fruit in their dishes as per evidence. By about 500 BC, tomato was already being cultivated in southern Mexico and a few other areas. The tomato plant was probably first introduced to Europe by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
What is a tomato?
The tomato is the edible , often red, berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in western South America and Central America.
Let us see if we can figure it out. the tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible fruit of Solanum lycopersicum , commonly known as a tomato plant, which belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The species originated in Central and South America.