Seven unusual facts about tomatoes you could miss

Tomatoes, ubiquitous in salads, sauces, soups and juices, have a unique story that is more than just their bright colors and spicy sweetness. For centuries suspicions to the most modern genetic revelations, tomatoes have a fascinating story about how this once broken global fruit kitchen.

Depressing the latest research on taste chemistry and health benefits reveals why tomatoes are more than another ingredient … They are one of the most intriguing and beneficial foods in the world. This unique story will certainly intrigue you and engage you.

1: Once suspicious poison

It’s hard to believe today, but there was a time when people actually feared tomato. IN Europe of the 18th centuryThe belonging of tomato with the night family, a group of plants, which includes some poisonous species, aroused rumors that tomatoes were poisonous. The leaves and nighttime stalks can be toxic, especially in severe doses.

Despite this, the shiny, richly pigmented tomato fruit was found guilty by association. The rich who used plates containing large lead did not help. A sour tomato juices would wash the lead from these plates, sometimes causing a serious disease.

Unaware of chemistry behind heavy metals, people assumed that tomatoes were guilty. This undeserved reputation gradually disappeared when more and more people discovered that cooked or consumed fresh tomatoes added a full impact of meals without catastrophic effects.

2: The issue of fruits or vegetables went to the Supreme Court

Perhaps the most hot argument about tomatoes is whether they are fruit or vegetables. Botanically tomatoes are berries that form from the flower of plants and contain seeds such as strawberries or berries. It makes them fruit, right?

Well, at the end of the 19th century United States Supreme Court He decided that for tax purposes tomatoes should be legally classified as vegetables. Although based on commercial regulations, not on biology, this verdict remains a cultural stone. Even today, many people call them vegetables because of their spicy taste and culinary applications, conveniently putting aside botanical status as fruit.

Taste and nutrition are a great team.

3: complex flavor symphony (hundreds of chemical compounds)

Biting a mature tomato is a much more experience than a sweet pulp or spicy juice. Scientists identified hundreds of volatile compounds in tomatoes, which contribute to taste much more complicated than you can guess from a modest passage. The sugar content plays the main role in giving tomatoes a fresh edge, and naturally occurring acids (such as lemon and apple acid) add acute tango.

True magic, however, lies in the relationships of aromas that arise in our nasal fragments, when we chew, mixing taste buds to create this quintessence “tomato” taste. Recent studies have shown that some of these volatile compounds imitate the smell of roses. However, others give spicy and even fruity notes, combining a stunning gobelin taste.

4: Universal nutritional power

Tomatoes, apart from their culinary charm, are a nutritional power. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, which supports the immune function and vitamin A, necessary for eye health and skin renewal. They also offer vitamin K for healthy bones and potassium for the proper function of muscles and nerves.

The most famous tomatoes are rich in lycopene … A strong antioxidant associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and some cancers. This broadly extensive profile of nutrients explains why tomatoes have gained a place on almost every “superfoods” list.

Recently juvenile Nicotine content in tomatoes It has also been examined and may even have healing ability.

Regularly incorporating tomatoes in meals contributes to a sustainable diet full of beneficial vitamins, minerals and other chemical compounds that maintain health.

5: Licopen advantage is better after heating

Many red fruits are due to their nutritional colors, but tomatoes stand out of their extremely high lycopene content. Interestingly, lycopene becomes more biological when tomatoes are heated, which means that cooking actually facilitates the absorption and use of this important nutrient.

That is why tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes are often praised for their protective and anti -inflammatory properties. Lycopene It is believed to help fight oxidative stress at the cellular level, acting as a shield against free radicals generated by daily metabolic processes. While fresh tomatoes still provide a healthy dose, heat synergy and a bit of dietary fat … Like olive oil … can facilitate the absorption of lycopene.

6: tomatoes have 30,000 different genes

One of the more surprising apparitions about tomatoes is that they have more genes than people. While people float around the sign of 20,000 genes, Tomatoes can boast over 30,000. This genetic complexity gives them an incredible variety, which results in thousands of varieties around the world, each of their own shape, color, taste profile and resistance to diseases. Recent genetic studies are aimed at indicating the sequences responsible for the taste, texture and content of nutrients.

Understanding which genes control sugar production, acid levels and volatile compounds, plant breeders hope to create new varieties that taste more like juicy souvenirs of the past, while opposing contemporary agricultural challenges.

7: Why cooling can ruin magic

Freshness is a key factor in the taste of tomato. When tomatoes are chilled below a certain temperature … generally about 50 ° F (10 ° C) … Some of the key enzymes responsible for their live taste and aroma begin to fall apart.

Studies show that storage cooled reduces the concentration of aroma compounds, which causes bland, flour fruit. That is why the best tomatoes are grown in the garden or locally obtained, raised jewel vine, which you will find on the markets of farmers. Storing tomatoes at room temperature retains a delicate chemical balance, which makes them pleasant to eat.

Conclusion: Culinary Delight meets the nutritional power

From their misunderstood past to the intricate chemistry of the taste, tomatoes keep the treasurer of surprises. They are a great marriage of culinary pleasure and nutritional efficiency, creating a spine of countless dishes from different cultures.

Regardless of whether you chop them into salsa, cook on a comforting sauce, or cut them freshly into a salad, tomatoes are a testimony to the extraordinary ability of nature to combine pleasure and health in one bright, spicy packaging. As genetic research continues, more mysteries of tomatoes can only wait for disclosure.