Tomatoes Were Feared As Poisonous

When the tomato first arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, it was viewed with deep suspicion. As a member of the nightshade family, its relatives included genuinely deadly plants like belladonna, a connection that earned it ominous nicknames like the "poison apple." This botanical wariness was then unintentionally "confirmed" by a peculiar case of class-specific chemistry that turned the fruit (Review) into an aristocratic assassin.

The true culprit was not the tomato, but the dinnerware. Wealthy Europeans ate from fashionable pewter plates, which at the time had a very high lead content. The tomato’s natural acidity was potent enough to leach this toxic (Review) lead directly from the plate into the food. After a meal, a diner might fall ill or even die from acute lead poisoning, with the vibrant and foreign tomato taking all the blame. Meanwhile, the lower classes, who ate from simple wooden trenchers or earthenware, consumed tomatoes without any ill effects. It wasn’t until the 18th century, as culinary uses spread from places like