Pomodoro: From a Botanical Curiosity to a National Symbol

The Columbian Exchange has been one of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture, and culture. Defined as the “exchange of diseases, ideas, food crops, and populations between the New World and the Old World following the voyage by Christopher Columbus in 1492”, the Exchange had an important effect on the evolution of local cuisines (Nunn, 163, 2010). The integration of other continents into Europe’s commercial network led to a multiplicity of exotic crops entering the European diet. For example, tomato, potato, and corn transformed European agriculture and cooking. Similarly, coffee, tea, and chocolate became extremely important for global trade. It’s interesting that the internationalization of food crops from various different countries and regions led to the nationalization of certain dishes and crops.

Within the context of Italian cuisine specifically, and Mediterranean cuisine in general, one crop that has become such a crucial element of the national diet yet that originated elsewhere is the tomato. Having originated in South America, tomatoes nowadays have been so thoroughly adopted and integrated into global diets that they provide more nutrients and vitamins than any other fruit or vegetable (Nunn, 2010). The widespread adoption of tomatoes is partly a consequence of the changing medical and scientific notions about how the process of digestion worked (Gentilcore, 2010). The mid-seventeenth century was characterized by a shift from the Galenic ideology to new “mechanical” and “chemical” medical ideas that cleared the tomato as no longer being perceived as a health risk, so long as it was cooked. However, its initial uses in Italy was still restricted to the traditional concept of condiment, which was served to balance a a dish’s humoral composition. 

The earliest surviving evidence of tomatoes being used in European culinary literature is found in Antonio Latini’s 1696 La Scalco Alla Moderna, where he refers to three specific tomato-based recipes as ‘spanish style’. His three recipes were a result of his development of a “new way of cooking without spices” and were met with increasing demand for condiments and dishes that were flavorful but not based on spices (Gentilcore, 2010). These early uses of Tomato in Italy indicate a clear Spanish influence, as most references to tomatoes come from formerly Spanish dominions. During the summer, tomatoes were all the peasants of southern Italy had to eat, offering a bit of chromatic variety to the monotony of the brownish-green peasant diet. This was particularly significant after the 1861 unification of Italy, which worsened the already-poor diet of many south Italians.

These uses of tomatoes in Italian cuisine vary from their application today as a kitchen garden vegetable. From observation it’s not difficult to notice the prevalence of tomatoes in all sorts of dishes, hot or cold; from salads to pasta’s, meat and seafood dishes, and as garnishing. While shopping in the mercato centrale one comes across tomatoes in various shapes, sizes, and colours. Yet, the tomatoes used in most dishes in restaurants and on display at local bars and pizzerias are almost exclusively vividly red, cherry tomatoes. Another interesting use of tomatoes that I’ve been exposed to recently in Istanbul is that of skin care. A dermatologist recommended the use of tomatoes as an antioxidant for facial cleansing, in congruence with its use in the 1600s as a skin remedy to take advantage of its cooling and moistening effects (Gentilcore, 2010). It’s clear that the tomato’s uses were continually subject to change, from production, through to exchange, distribution and consumption. As a result, it’s ideal for understanding the underlying beliefs, values, and structures of the society in which it is used, and how these change over time.