It can be hard to imagine a world without tomatoes, but that’s what the Italian landscape used to look like. Tomatoes are now a staple ingredient in many of Italy’s famous dishes, but it turns out that the country didn’t have them until the 15th or 16th century. This interesting fact is sure to surprise any Italian food lover, and it reveals an interesting side of the country’s rich culinary history.
Tomatoes were first introduced in Italy by the Spanish in the late 15th century. The plant was brought to Europe from the New World by Spanish explorers and was first used in Spanish delicacies. It took a while for the plant to become commonplace in Italian dishes, as there was some resistance from traditional Italian cooks. In the 1600s, when Southern Italian cuisine was gaining in popularity, tomatoes began to appear on dinner tables in Italy.
Once tomatoes started appearing in Italian cuisine, they quickly became a staple ingredient. Tomatoes have been grown in Italy since the 1700s, and the country had become one of the largest commercial producers of tomatoes by the 19th century. Nowadays, tomatoes are a key part of Italian cuisine, used in everything from paella to pizza and even eaten raw in salads.
What They Ate Before Tomatoes
But what did Italians eat in the centuries before tomatoes became a part of their cuisine? The use of fresh tomatoes was not widespread until the mid-17th century, so before that Italians had to rely on other cooking methods and ingredients.
One of the alternative ingredients used was eggplant. Eggplant was brought to Europe from the Middle East around the 8th
century, and it quickly became popular in Italy. Eggplant dishes like melanzane alla Parmigiana were common before tomatoes were available, and eggplant is still a popular vegetable in Italian cuisine.
Root vegetables like onions, garlic, and beets were also widely used. These vegetables add flavour to dishes and are used in everything from sauces to savoury pies. Herbs like oregano, basil, and rosemary were also used to impart flavour, and these herbs are still widely used in Italian dishes.
“Herbs, vegetables, and olive oil were the mainstays of the Italian diet in ancient times, but it wasn’t until the tomato was introduced to Italy that the country’s cuisine underwent a revolution.”
— Lidia Bastianich, Italian chef
Fruit was also an important part of the Italian diet before tomatoes arrived, with pears and apples being popular choices. Figs, lemons, and oranges were also commonly eaten, and these fruits are still widely eaten in Italy today.
The Impact Of Tomatoes On Italian Cuisine
Tomatoes had a huge impact on Italian cuisine, and they changed the way Italians cooked and ate. Since tomatoes are so versatile, they could be added to almost any dish and were soon incorporated into every kind of Italian cooking. Pizza, pasta sauces, soups, stews, and salads all began to incorporate tomatoes, and the vegetable soon became an integral part of Italian cuisine.
Tomatoes are now a staple ingredient in Italian food, but it wasn’t until the 15th or 16th century that they first appeared in the country. It’s amazing to think that a vegetable that is now so ingrained in Italian culture was once completely unknown to Italian cooks. This reveals the ever-changing and dynamic nature of Italian cuisine, as new ingredients and dishes continue to be introduced.
Conclusion
The modern Italian kitchen certainly wouldn’t be the same without tomatoes, but it turns out that the popular vegetable wasn’t widely used until the 15th or 16th century. Italians had to rely on eggplant, root vegetables, and fruits to add flavour to dishes before tomatoes were introduced. Since then, tomatoes have changed the way people cook and eat in Italy, becoming a beloved staple of the country’s national cuisine.
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