Fresh Tomato Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

The 6th of April is Fresh Tomato Day, a day to commemorate the beauty of fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes are a significant source of umami flavour and are cultivated in both temperate and tropical regions of the globe. Typically, they are ingested raw or cooked. Numerous varieties of the tomato plant are typically grown in temperate climates throughout the globe, with purpose-built greenhouses assisting in the production of tomatoes throughout the year. Tomato plants are typically three to ten feet tall, with tendrils and a weak, sprawling stem.

The background of Fresh Tomato Day

The tomato is believed to have descended or evolved from the native to western South America Solanum pimpinellifolium, also known as the currant tomato or wild tomato. These untamed tomatoes were typically about the size of peas and were smaller than the tomatoes we have today. The so-called domestication of tomatoes can be traced back to the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans, who consumed the fruit both raw and cooked. Tomatoes were introduced to Europe by the Spanish and became a staple in Spanish cuisine. In northern European countries such as France, Italy, and others, the tomato was initially cultivated as an ornamental plant, similar to flowers.

Botanists viewed the tomato with scepticism as a culinary item because they believed it to be a nightshade. This scepticism and suspicion was exacerbated by the tomato juice’s acidity. Tomatoes were referred to as “poison apples” because it was believed that eating them caused aristocrats to become ill and perish. The wealthy Europeans of the time may have used lead-rich pewter plates, and because tomatoes are so acidic, the fruit leached lead from the plate when it came into contact with the fruit, causing lead poisoning and death.

At the time, ignorance prevented anyone from connecting the links between the plate and the poison, so the simplest solution was to blame the tomato. Tomato leaves and immature fruit contain tomatin, which could be toxic in large quantities. However, mature tomato fruit is devoid of tomatin.

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FRESH TOMATO DAY ACTIVITIES

Consume some vegetables

What better way to observe Fresh Tomato Day than by eating (or drinking) them? Make a tomato sandwich or order tomato pizza; you’ll be fine either way.

Host a soiree for throwing tomatoes.

Hosting a tomato-throwing party on Fresh Tomato Day is yet another entertaining suggestion. This would be enjoyable, but care should be taken not to waste too many tomatoes.

Share via social networks

Participate in the online tomato conversation using the hashtag #FreshTomatoDay. Share the day’s history online!

5 Interesting Tomato Facts

There are up to 10,000 distinct tomato cultivars.

The first tomatoes were golden in colour and widely regarded as aphrodisiacs, not red as they are today.

Tomatoes come in a variety of hues, including purple, green, and white; however, for quality control purposes, only red tomatoes are displayed in markets.

The word ‘tomato’ is derived from the Spanish word ‘tomate.’

China is the greatest producer of tomatoes on the planet.

FRESH TOMATO DAY DATES