Tomato: A Global History

Edible

by Clarissa Hyman

In the history of food, the tomato is a relative newcomer but it would now be impossible to imagine the food cultures of many nations without them. The journey taken by the tomato from its ancestral home in the southern Americas to Europe and back is a riveting story full of discovery, innovation, drama and dispute. Today it is at the forefront of scientific advances and heritage conservation, but the tomato has faced challenges every step of the way into our gardens and kitchens including the eternal question: is it a fruit or a vegetable?
Clarissa Hyman charts the eventful history of this ubiquitous everyday item that is often taken for granted. Hyman discusses tomato soup and ketchup, heritage tomatoes, tomato varieties, breeding and genetics, nutrition, tomatoes in Italy, tomatoes in art, and tomatoes for the future. Featuring delicious modern and historical recipes, such as the infamous ‘man-winning tomato salad’, this is a juicy and informative history of one of our most beloved foods.

Genres: Food, History, Food History, Nonfiction, Food and Drink

144 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2019

Reviews

[Margery Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is an interesting book but I feel the author has missed some of the sociological (eg class) aspects of the history of tomatoes. for example the emergency tomato soup the author kind of comically describes was a down-and-out food for street people (and starving college students in my youth--go to any McDonald, buy a cup of hot water for tea and make the soup). The author misses stuff like how the history of canned tomato products was shaped by the comparative safety of canned tomatoes. also i can't help but think the opening chapters on the botanical history of the tomato could have profited from some discussion of current genetic studies. anyhow i'm being rather critical, I did enjoy the book.

[Carl W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful insights into everything about tomatoes: from its Central American origins to its place in modern cultures. It’s got great pictures too!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers a wide variety of topics, including hybrids, heirlooms, and modern ag.

[SR · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like you don't get to call your history "global" if you only acknowledge four countries in the Americas and another four in Europe.

[Cedric Loudon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were three things that I greatly disliked about this book: 1) it focuses a bit too much on the scientific aspects etc., which makes the last third of the book very repetitive; 2) after the first few chapters, the book scarcely mentions the word 'tomato'; and 3) the book is made up mostly of reviews! In other words, there is hardly any original content.