How are tomatoes different from tomatoes?

It seems to us that the tomato (or tomato) is a primordially Russian plant. This vegetable has become so familiar to our cuisine that it is impossible to imagine that it has other roots. In the article we will tell you how tomatoes differ from tomatoes, and how it is still correct to call everyone's favorite vegetable.

In the Russian language, the name "tomato" came from French (tomate), but in fact the roots of this name go back to the not so well-known and popular language in the world - Aztec (tomatl) from the group of Indian languages ​​in El Salvador and Mexico. According to some statements, the homeland of the vegetable is considered to be the area where the Aztecs live (although it is officially recognized that this is America), who call it a large berry. But the "tomato" is of Italian origin. This is the word pomodoro, which means "golden apple". Perhaps the first such fruits to appear in Italy were yellow.

However, apple also appears in the translation from the French word pomme d`amour. Only the French do not mean a golden apple, but a love apple. Obviously, this was the case because of the bright red color of the tomato. One way or another, the vegetable is definitely not of Russian origin (although the product has long been considered Russian).

By the way, back in the 16th century, when the famous navigator and traveler Columbus brought it to Europe, Europeans for a long time considered the tomato an ornamental berry and were in no hurry to eat itbut when recipes with the composition of such an "apple" became available in the cookbooks of that time, the vegetable became quite popular.

Let's try to figure out how these terms differ. Since ancient times, tomato and tomato have denoted the same vegetable, but in Russian they are still different concepts. Everything is quite simple: if we are talking about the plant itself (as a culture from the Solanaceae family), then this is a tomato. The fruit of this plant is correctly called a tomato - that's the whole difference. Accordingly, what grows on branches in the greenhouse and in the open field is called tomatoes, and what breeders work with are varieties and seeds of tomato.

But why then do processors produce tomato juice, tomato paste, tomato sauces? Why are processed products not called tomato? It is generally accepted that processed fruits are tomatoes, and what we are just about to cook and have not yet processed are tomatoes.

In the recipes of various profile sites, instead of the word "tomato" in cooking, they often indicate "tomato". To believe that the author is categorically wrong is also not entirely correct, because in many dictionaries these are synonymous words.

But if you approach this issue meticulously, then it would be more correct to write "tomato" in the recipe, because we are talking about the fact that a whole (unprocessed) vegetable is put into the dish. If it is subjected to technological processing, and another product is obtained from the tomato (juice, sauce, pasta), then such a product will be called tomato, but not tomato.

Initially, it may seem that everything is confusing, but in fact it is not so difficult to understand and remember in what cases and which term will be appropriate.By the way, in botany lessons, even in high school, differences are given between the terms "tomatoes" and "tomatoes", but, obviously, then our "folk art" still prevails, we call our favorite vegetable whatever we want and do not think about the correct pronunciation.

Purity of speech is a sign of good manners, it always adorns the one who speaks it. Make sure you use it correctly, and then you will definitely impress the competent interlocutor, and you will feel more confident in the company of competent people.