Originally published on June 27, 2022 (Episode 270)
Introduction
Joseph T. Buckingham, editor of the Boston Courier in the 1830s, had a gift for invective. He called tomatoes “the mere fungus of an offensive plant which one cannot touch without an immediate application of soap and water with an infusion of eau de cologne, to sweeten the hand.” One wonders what words he reserved for politicians.
Everything has a history, and so do tomatoes. When Buckingham was railing against them, Americans were in the midst of a tomato-eating health craze that included tomato pills touted as life-enhancing cures. Meanwhile, Italians were still eating pasta cooked in broth for an hour, tossed with pork lard, and eaten by hand—without so much as a drop of tomato sauce on top of it. These and other strange, surprising facts come from William Alexander’s new book Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World: A History (Grand Central Publishing, 2022).
About the Guest
William Alexander’s earlier books include The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden. He also writes widely on food, gardening, and culture.
For Further Investigation
William Alexander, Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World: A History (Grand Central Publishing, 2022)
William Alexander, The $64 Tomato (Algonquin, 2006)
Andrew F. Smith, Pure Ketchup: A History of America’s National Condiment, with Recipes (University of South Carolina Press, 1996)
Massimo Montanari, A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce: The Unbelievable True Story of the World’s Most Beloved Dish (Europa Editions, 2021)
Adee Braun, “The Tomato Pill Craze: How a war over cure-all pills convinced Americans to eat tomatoes”, Atlas Obscura, October 16, 2017
Suggested Links to Related Episodes:
The Chemistry of Fear – Jonathan Rees on Dr. Wiley and pure food
Cuisine and Culture – Rachel Laudan on myths of food history
💬 Listen & Discuss
Why do foods we now take for granted so often carry long, contested, and surprising histories? Share your favorite tomato fact—or a food fad that fascinates you—in the comments. And pass this episode along to someone who thinks pasta and tomatoes are inseparable.
