Description

Tomatoes are highly valued in human diets for being an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, and the antioxidant lycopene. They are exceptionally versatile, consumed raw in salads, slow-cooked into sauces, or processed into pastes, juices, and ketchup.

The wild tomato originated in the Andes Mountains of South America, mainly in Peru and Ecuador, and was likely first domesticated in pre-Columbian Mexico. The name “tomato” comes from the Náhuatl (Aztec) word tomatl.