What’s red, round and beloved by all? That’s right, tomatoes!
Did you know that tomatoes originally grew in South America? The Spanish were the first ones from outside the continent to come across this plant and that was only because they attacked the Aztec Empire. They then took it to Europe from where travellers and colonisers took the humble tomato to other parts of the world.
It came to India through Portuguese travellers in the 16th century. By the mid-18th century, it had become a part of the diet for the British too. When the British colonised India, it soon become a regular in Indian farms as well. India’s climate was also well-suited for growing tomatoes and the fruit (yes, it is scientifically classified as a fruit) quickly became an integral part of Indian cuisine from the North to the South. Our first dish this week is Tomato Rasam, a spicy soup from the South of India where it is often eaten with rice.
Our second dish this week is Shakshuka, a tomatoey gravy with its roots in Africa and the Middle East. It is believed that it was the British who took the tomato to these parts of the world in the early 19th century. It is traditionally made with eggs but we at TVK have made it with another vegetable that’s native to the Americas so that it is vegan-friendly.
We’ll round it off with a dish from Spain, as that was the country that gave tomato to the rest of the world. Gazpacho is usually made with bread but we have a gluten-free version that tastes equally good. It is also vegan-friendly actually so that’s double the number of reasons to give it a go.
Let’s show tomatoes some love!
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”
The Vegetarians' Kitchen 