The tomato is the edible, often red fruit/berry of the nightshade Solanum lycopersicum,[1]

[2]

commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in the South

American Andes[2] and its use as a food originated in Mexico, and spread throughout the
world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Its many varieties are now widely
grown, sometimes in greenhouses in cooler climates.
The tomato is consumed in diverse ways, including raw, as an ingredient in many dishes,
sauces, salads, and drinks. While it is botanically a fruit, it is considered a vegetable for
culinary purposes (as well as under U.S. customs regulations, see Nix v. Hedden), which has
caused some confusion. The fruit is rich in lycopene, which may have beneficial health
effects.
The tomato belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae.[1][3] The plants typically grow to 13
meters (310 ft) in height and have a weak stem that often sprawls over the ground and
vines over other plants. It is a perennial in its native habitat, although often grown outdoors in
temperate climates as an annual. An average common tomato weighs approximately 100
grams (4 oz).[4][5]
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1 History
1.1 Etymology and pronunciation
1.2 Mesoamerica
1.3 Mesoamerica
1.4 Spanish distribution
1.5 Italy
1.6 Britain
1.7 Middle East and North Africa
1.8 North America
1.9 Modern commercial varieties
2 Cultivation
2.1 Varieties
2.2 Diseases and pests
2.3 Companion plants
2.4 Pollination
2.5 Fruit formation
2.6 Hydroponic and greenhouse cultivation
2.7 Picking and ripening
2.8 Yield
2.9 Genetic modification
3 Consumption
3.1 Nutrition
3.2 Potential health effects
3.3 Storage
3.4 Safety

3.4.1 Plant toxicity

3.4.2 Salmonella
4 Botanical description
5 Botanical classification
6 Wild species
7 Genome sequencing
8 Breeding
9 Fruit or vegetable?
10 Names
10.1 Pronunciation
11 Tomato records
12 Cultural impact
13 See also
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links

History
Etymology and pronunciation
The word tomato comes from the Spanish tomate, which in turn comes from
the Nahuatl word tomatotl /atomatll/.[6] It first appeared in print in 1595. A member of the
deadly nightshade family, tomatoes were erroneously thought to be poisonous (although the
leaves are) by Europeans who were suspicious of their bright, shiny fruit. Native versions
were small, like cherry tomatoes, and most likely yellow rather than red. The tomato is native
to western South America and Central America.[6]
The usual pronunciations of tomato are /tmeto/ (usual in American English[7]) and /t
mto/ (usual in British English[8]). In America through the mid-twentieth century, speakers
aspiring to high culture sometimes affected the broad vowels of Received Pronunciation,
which made the pronunciation variants of tomato a topic of attention via the popular song
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off".

Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Aztecs and other peoples in Mesoamerica used the fruit in their cooking. The exact date of
domestication is unknown: by 500 BC, it was already being cultivated in
southern Mexico and probably other areas.[9]:13 The Pueblo people are thought to have
believed that those who witnessed the ingestion of tomato seeds were blessed with powers
of divination.[10] The large, lumpy variety of tomato, a mutation from a smoother, smaller fruit,
originated in Mesoamerica, and may be the direct ancestor of some modern cultivated
tomatoes.[9]