Vegetable Origin

Tomatoes
The tomato originally came from Central and South America. The tomato was grown in Peru and Mexico by the Aztecs and Incas hundreds of years before the Spanish Conquistadors took the seeds to Europe in the 16th century.

Next, it traveled to Northern Europe and then to North America via New Orleans around 1781, where the tomato was used in Creole cooking.

The tomato became an everyday food in the North American diet during the 19th century. The first tomatoes grown in the United States were large and ribbed. Tomato lovers pollinated the cherry tomato flowers with other large sized tomato flowers so the fruit would be larger. This process is called selective breeding.

Since 1895, important developments include: extra early varieties, disease resistant strains and better plant type and quality.

There are two main divisions of tomatoes grown by Canadian farmers. 1. Fresh market tomatoes, which are sold at markets and grocery stores and are used for salads and other dishes. 2. Processing tomatoes are used for making sauce, ketchup, salsa, and other processed products.

Cucumbers
The cucumber is believed to be native to India at the south foot of the Himalayas or in Burma. Evidence indicates that it has been cultivated in western Asia for 3,000 years.

From India, the cucumber spread to Greece and Italy, where the Romans were especially fond of the crop.

Ancient Egyptians ate cucumbers, which are 98% water, to survive in the desert.

Records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century. The Spaniards brought cucumbers to Haiti in 1494. In 1535, Cartier, the French explorer who discovered Canada, found cucumbers being grown in what is now known as Montreal.

Peppers
Peppers originated in Central and South America before the famous explorer Christopher Columbus’ time. He supposedly took them back to Europe.

The growing of peppers spread all through Europe and Asia during the 16th century. Since then, they have become a popular addition to a variety of foods in many cultures around the world.