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Tangentially, the tomato was thought to be poisonous by Europeans because the acid would leech lead from pewter plates. Here's an article, though I heard about
by rdlw 7y ago
Tangentially, the tomato was thought to be poisonous by Europeans because the acid would leech lead from pewter plates.
Here's an article, though I heard about this from the Hawaiian Pizza episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-the-tomato-was-feared-in-europe-for-more-than-200-years-863735/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-the-tomato-w...
Edit: Acid leaches lead, not acid. Misuse of 'leech' preserved for posterity.
- samatman 7y agoSplit the difference and you get leach, the actual word y'all are looking for. English is such a trip!
- kjs3 7y agoI had always heard the tomato was thought to be poisonous because it's part of the Nightshade family (Solanaceae), many of which are poisonous. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/solanaceae.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/solanaceae.htm
- PeCaN 7y agoThis seems unlikely since many are edible and some (e.g. potato, eggplant, tobacco) were eaten concurrently with the tomato confusion in Europe.
- catalogia 7y agoTomatoes themselves were being eaten concurrently with tomato confusion in Europe. Tomatoes were from South America; entirely unknown to Europe until the Spanish introduced them. The Spanish brought them back to Europe with the intent of eating them. The Spanish, Italians, many in France, etc were happily eating tomatoes when people in Britain decided they were poisonous.
- jacobush 7y agoAs far as I know tomatoes can actually be slightly irritating to the intestines and some people should actually avoid them.