Little did they know that the explanation had to do with their choice of tableware, not the tomatoes and as such, the aristocrats miss-attributed the tomato.
According to the historical cookbook, “Heirloom Flavor: Yesterday’s Best-Tasting Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs for Today’s Cook,” the high acidity of tomatoes would cause lead to leach from the pewter plates used by rich aristocrats and cause lead poisoning.
To further add to the fruit’s poor reputation, the tomato was incorrectly classified as a deadly nightshade before it came to Europe.
According to Smithsonian magazine, the 19th-century rise in popularity of pizza in Naples, Italy slowly changed the noxious attitude toward tomatoes.
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