Thursday, September 11, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #3


Today's Thursday 13 was inspired by this mornings shopping tour. While buying the vegetables for tonights dinner at the grocery sotre I saw them - a pack of wonderfully different colored and shaped small tomatoes. And because I didn't have a better topic for this weeks TT anyway, I decided to post 13 interesting facts about TOMATOES:

1.) First of all a picture of the tomatoes I bought today. They were sold in a box labelled "wild
wonders". It's a variety of cherry tomatoes, aren't they beautiful?




2.) Tomatoes inspired John de Bello to produce his series
"Attack of the Killertomatoes", staring the young George
Clooney in the sequel "Return of the Killertomatoes"

3.) The latin term for tomato is Solanum lycopersicum, meaning "wolf peach". There are at least 10,000 varieties of tomatoes (from the small marble-sized cherry one to the Ponderosa, which can weigh over three pounds).


4.) Tomatoes are fruits from the botanic point of view! As
well as eggplants, cucumbers, pumpkins and zucchinis.
But in the culinary world and in some old laws tomatoes
are seen classified as vegetables.

5.) Since the 1940's, "La Tomatina" takes place on the last
Wednesday of August. Then 20000 - 40000 people meet
in the town of Bunol in Spain to be part of the big tomato
fight.



6.) The worlds biggest tomato weighed 3.5 kg, or 7 lb 12 oz! An average size tomato has 148 gram, or 5 oz, and boasts only 35 calories.

7.) In 2003 Rob Baur succeded in breeding a "Tomacco"-plant, inspired by the "Simpsons" episode "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)". It is a tomato-plant hybrid that also contains small amounts of nicotine. It is possible because they both belong to the nightshades, also including potato and belladonna.

8.) Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe, where it was first mentioned in 1556. The French called it "the apple of love," the Germans "the apple of paradise."

9.) Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and fibre, and are cholesterol free. The consumption of lycopene - the stuff that makes tomatoes red - may prevent cancer.

10.) The tomato is the most popular fruit of the world, with over 60 million tons produced every year.

11.) Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio. Arkansas' official state vegetable is the vine ripe pink tomato (of South Arkansas).


12.) Until the 1800's tomatoes were thought to be poisonous. Though some claimed that they have aphrodisiac powers.

13.) And last but not least, my favorite tomato recipe - Bruschetta:


That's it folks, hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to comment, cause I follow ;) and I don't mind if you drop a card as well.

Luv Julia

34 Kommentare:

Robin said...

I like tomato sauce but I can't stand raw tomatoes. Just not my thing. Their history is interesting though.

Anonymous said...

Now that is an interesting list idea! And yummy topic :) I love tomatoes :) Thanks for stopping by mine.

Laura Paxton said...

Love those interesting little tomatoes!! I love fresh tomato sandwiches...YUM!!

Happy t13!

Lori said...

Tomato juice is the official state juice of Ohio?! For some reason, that doesn't really surprise me. (LOL)

Toni said...

Great list!!!! Love those pictures of the different little tomatoes!!!

Happy TT!!!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm...bruschettaaaa! I love to make homemade pasta sauce, I can't eat a salad without tomatoes... ah I love them on so many things! Great list!

pussreboots said...

I've seen both Attack of the Killer Tomato films but I'd forgotten that Clooney was in the sequel. Happy TT.

After Hours said...

I love tomatoes and would love to go to Spain during La Tomatina. That would be so much fun smashing tomatoes all over strangers!

Anonymous said...

We grew a french intensive garden this summer and now how a lot of tomatoes. We are enjoying them - but... ;) I only hope they have a chance to ripen before it freezes here!

Great facts! I love heirlooms tomatoes - this year we grew yellow pears (fabulous), cherokee black (which are the perfect tomato), and hillbilly (which I didn't like)

Always Been Different said...

Happy TT!
Great List!

Kealie Shay said...

Wow, amazing what we can think of when we look at the world around us.

Great list. Those tomatoes were gorgeous. I thought they were jelly beans when I first saw the picture.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Miss Snarky Pants said...

Oddly enough, up until about 3 months ago I couldn't stand tomatoes....

Now, I don't know how I stayed away from em' so long. :-)

Thanks for visiting my blogspot and Happy TT!!

The Gal Herself said...

"La Tomatina" is kinda creepy, isn't it? (Shiver) Still, they look like they're having good, clean, tomatoey fun, so maybe I should re-evaluate it! (Thanks for visiting my TT)

Anonymous said...

Wow - all kinds of things I didn't know about tomatoes.

mielikki said...

mmm, now I feel like getting up and eating a tomato. With mozzarella cheese and basil. On garlic toast....
excellent 13

Susan Cook said...

Those are the most colorful tomatoes I've ever seen (the ones you bought) Some interesting facts about tomatoes. I think I'll pass on the "tomato fight" - lol! thanks for stopping by mine :)

Lydia said...

Very cool facts. Thanks for stopping by!

evel dread said...

George Clooney? Really?? Netflix here I come! :) Happy TT!

Anonymous said...

Cherry tomatoes. Yum!

Thanks for these tomatoey facts. I really need to plant myself some tomatoes.

Happy TT!

Joyce said...

Yum! about Bruschetta. When we first got married, my husband asked me if I cooked anything at all that didn't have tomatoes in it! That's how much I love them. I have learned to broaden my cooking repertoire. :)

Thank you, too, for stopping by my Thursday 13.

DoubleDeckerBusGuy said...

...and you missed (or did you?) talking about Robert Gibbon Johnson... which is most likely (really, it is...) a myth, but locked in with Tomatoes ever so much!

Anonymous said...

thanks for sharing those info on tomatoes julia!^_^

i wanna eat one now. Yum. hehe

Lori said...

I love tomatos but not tomato juice. Go figure. Great list. Happy TT and thanks for stopping by:)

PMKU said...

I'm only like them in my spaghetti or lasagna or pizza!

Angela said...

Those cherry tomatoes are wonderful! Look like mini heirloom tomatoes. That tomato food fight? Run for your lives! Thanks for visiting and sharing.

Betty said...

Interesting TT. I have seen yellow, red and green tomatoes but not those other colored ones. They are pretty all mixed together.

ya ya's mom said...

that's a lot of info on tomatoes :) thanks for visiting my weekly winners!

Gattina said...

Very interesting to read, the Italians call tomatoes pomodoro which would mean gold apple, litteraly translated.

Anonymous said...

wow everything i wanted to learn about tomatoes and then some...lol.
http://www.apooobooks.com/2008/09/11/thursday-thirteen-7head-class-childhood-playground-activities/

Anonymous said...

Hi, nice to visit in your site. Have a nice day ! Thx

Anonymous said...

Great Idea! I fogot all about Attack of the Killer Tomatoes-my brother loved that show. I can still hear the theme song.

Anonymous said...

How did the tomatoes taste? They look delicious. Did each color have a different flavor?

Clara said...

Awesome post! My mouth is actually watering after watching the guy make bruschetta! You picture of the tomatoes is so cool. I've seen the multi-color packs in the store but never purchased them. And I have to admit I loved Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Thanks for stopping by my TT!

Stickman Games said...

The "La Tomatina" event is a great place to be for budding photographers :)

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