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The Tomato is the fruit of the plant Lycopersicon lycopersicum and is a member of the Solanaceae, or Nightshade family. The name that this fruit was given in various languages reflects some of the history and mystery surrounding it. Lycopersicon means "wolf peach" in Latin and refers to the former belief that, like a wolf, this fruit was dangerous. The French call it pomme d'amour, meaning "love apple," since they believed it to have aphrodisiacal qualities, while the Italians call it pomodoro or "golden apple," owing to the fact that the first known species with which they were familiar may have been yellow in color.

Regardless of its name, the tomato is a wonderfully popular and versatile food that comes in over a thousand different varieties that vary in shape, size and color. There are small cherry Tomatoes, bright yellow tomatoes, Italian pear-shaped tomatoes, and the green tomato, famous for its fried preparation in Southern American cuisine.

Only the fruits of this plant are eaten since the leaves contain toxic alkaloids (see Safety section below). tomatoes have fleshy internal segments filled with slippery seeds surrounded by a watery matrix. They can be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or brown in color.

Although tomatoes are fruits in a botanical sense, they don't have the dessert quality sweetness of other fruits. Instead they have a subtle sweetness that is complemented by a slightly bitter and acidic taste. They are prepared and served like other vegetables, which is why they are often categorized as such. Cooking tempers the acid and bitter qualities in tomatoes and brings out their warm, rich, sweetness.