Tomato
| Tomato | |
|---|---|
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| Cross-section and full view of a hothouse (greenhouse-grown) tomato | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
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| Genus: | |
| Species: | S. lycopersicum
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| Binomial name | |
| Solanum lycopersicum | |
| Synonyms | |
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Lycopersicon lycopersicum(L.) H. Karst. | |
Thetomato(Solanum lycopersicum) is avegetable/botanicalfruit,or specifically, aberry(but not a fruit as ordinary people use the word).[2]
It is shiny and smooth. It has many small seeds. It is also very good for health. Most tomatoes are red. The tomato is green when it is unripe. It slowly changes color from green to red as it gets ripe, and as it gets ripe it gets bigger and bigger. There are many different types of tomatoes. Some kinds of tomato are yellow or orange when they are ripe. Tomatoes are used a lot inItalian food.They are also used to make ketchup. Tomatoes are called fruit, because they contain seeds. Tomato seeds get spread around by being eaten by animals. After being eaten the seeds pass through the animal'sdigestive system.Although tomatoes are really fruits, many people call themvegetablesand treat them like vegetables when they cook.
History[change|change source]
The tomato is native to westernSouth America.Wild versions were small, like cherry tomatoes, and most likely yellow instead of red. The Spanish first introduced tomatoes to Europe, where they became used in Spanish and Italian food. The French and northern Europeans wrongly thought that they were poisonous as they are a member of the deadlynightshadefamily.[2]The leaves and immature fruit containstomatine,which in large amounts would be toxic. However, the ripe fruit contains no tomatine.
As food[change|change source]
The tomato is grown and eaten around the world. It is used in many ways, such as raw in salads or in slices, stewed, a part of a wide variety of dishes, or processed into ketchup or tomato soup. Unripe green tomatoes can also be breaded andfried,used to make salsa, or pickled. Tomato juice is sold as a drink, and is used in cocktails such as the Bloody Mary.
Tomatoes contain many nutrients but is highest in vitamin C and potassium. A medium tomato contains approximately 15 grams ofvitamin Cand 290 grams ofpotassium.
Related pages[change|change source]
References[change|change source]
- ↑"Phylogeny".
Molecular phylogenetic analyses have established that the formerly segregate generaLycopersicon,Cyphomandra,Normania,andTrigueraare nested withinSolanum,and all species of these four genera have been transferred toSolanum
- ↑2.02.1"Tomato Description, Cultivation, & History".
Other websites[change|change source]
