Until the 18th century, this plant was grown for its beauty, but not eaten, since it was believed to be poisonous. Today it can be found in tossed salads. Which plant is this?

This popular fruit's journey to the dinner table was a long and suspicious one, primarily due to a case of mistaken identity. As a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), its close relatives include genuinely deadly plants like belladonna. This botanical association created a powerful and lasting fear in Europe after it was introduced from the Americas. To be fair to the skeptics, the leaves and stems of the plant do contain toxic alkaloids, making them unsafe for consumption, but the fruit itself is perfectly harmless.

The fear was compounded by a dangerous misunderstanding among wealthy Europeans who ate from pewter plates. The fruit's high acidity would leach toxic lead from their pewter plates, causing illness and death from lead poisoning. The innocuous fruit was blamed, and its reputation as a poison was sealed for centuries. For this reason, it was cultivated primarily as an ornamental plant, admired for its vibrant color in gardens and sometimes called the "poison apple."

Despite this European apprehension, the fruit had been a staple in its native Mesoamerica for centuries, where it was cultivated and eaten by the Aztecs. Its eventual acceptance in Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain, slowly transformed its reputation from a suspicious decoration into a culinary cornerstone. This shift, which gained momentum in the 18th and 19th centuries, secured its place in everything from sauces to the salads we enjoy today.