What's the meaning of the Tomato »

Tomato

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Tomato.

Rate this symbol:3.0 / 3 votes

A popular ingredient in many cuisines, tomatoes have made quite an impact on the world ever since they spread beyond their homelands of Mexico and Central America. In terms of symbolism, the tomato shares qualities with many similar foodstuffs, but possesses a few features that are all its own.

The basic meaning of the tomato is not difficult to understand; with its red color, juicy texture and many seeds, the tomato is clearly a sensual plant and can be viewed as an aphrodisiac. When it arrived in Europe in the 16th century, the Christian church deemed it lewd and disapproved of tomato consumption. While not entirely for this reason, it was several centuries before Europeans began to eat tomatoes in any quantity. Since it was later discovered that tomatoes are in the same botanical family as deadly nightshade- a highly dangerous poison- perhaps they were right to be cautious?

Among the Bambara people of present-day Mali, the story was different. Introduced to West Africa by subsequent traders and slavers, tomatoes have had an extensive impact on the region. The Bambara view tomatoes as symbols of blood, life and fertility. On a culinary level, tomatoes have become one of the “holy trinity” of West African cooking, along with onions and chili peppers.

Linguistically, the tomato possesses some interesting features. During their early days in Europe, tomatoes were known as “love apples”, and this moniker developed from a few different influences. Since early specimens of the plant were yellow (presumably the red varieties were not developed until later), there were known in Italian as “pomo d’or” or apple of gold. Another name for them was “pomo d’Moro” or apple of the Moors (this referred to the Spanish explorers who brought tomatoes back from the New World, as Spain had been occupied by the Muslim Moors until just a few generations prior). From such roots, the French “pomme d’amour” or love apple developed.

9,579 Views

Graphical characteristics:
Asymmetric, Closed shape, Colorful, Contains curved lines, Has no crossing lines.

Category: Food Symbols and Symbolism.

More symbols in Food Symbols and Symbolism:

Have a discussion about Tomato with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this symbol to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Tomato." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Oct. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/symbol/tomato>.

    We need you!

    Are we missing an important symbol in this category?

    Graphical Index

    Use our unique search feature to find a symbol based on its various graphical characteristics:


    • Symmetry:
    • Shape:
    • Colors:
    • Curveness:
    • Crossing:

    Quiz

    Are you a world flags master?

    »
    A Sudan
    B Ireland
    C Cameroon
    D Singapore