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• Though botanically the tomato is a fruit, it was declared a vegetable by the Supreme Court in 1893. Despite the efforts of David Stockman, a Reagan official, ketchup never shared the same vegetable classification as its main ingredient.
• The tomato hasn’t always had an easy time. In colonial America, folklore had it that consumption of a tomato (considered poisonous) would turn your blood into acid. Instead, the colonists grew tomatoes purely for decoration until Thomas Jefferson allegedly debunked the myth.
• Other cultures have always loved the tomato, including the French name, who called it pomme d’amore, or “apple of love.” Love a tomato because tomatoes love you: they can even fight cancer, thanks to lycopene.
• A giant tomato fight like the Festival de la Tomatina might be fun, but you would not want to get hit by one of these giant tomatoes.
• Tomatoes may have cool properties like being able to house needle-less vaccines, but bathing in tomato juice will not get rid of any smell a skunk leaves on you!
• Though it doesn’t translate as well via text, the title of this Dietribe was taken from George Gershwin’s 1937 song “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off,” which took its tomato-tomato pronunciation differences from the real life change his brother-in-law made after he bough a tomato factory (which still doesn’t exactly explain it, but still!)
• Help Mental_Floss fact finder Meg! She requests, “I tried to find out an answer as to why so many people order tomato juice on airplanes, but I didn’t find a good answer. Have you ever noticed that?”
• I must admit that though I love all tomato-related products, I am not the biggest fan of the tomato itself. What are your favorite ways to consume this rowdy red veggie (er fruit, er … veggie)?
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Hungry for more? Venture into the Dietribes archive.
‘Dietribes’ appears every other Wednesday. Food photos taken by Johanna BeyenbachYou might remember that name from our post about her colorful diet.
Comments (27)
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Tomato juice on the plane–its more filling. I order tomato juice or V8 or bloody mary mix when I’m hungry; it’s kind of like a cold soup. Plus, goes well with those pretzels ;)
posted by Tavolini on 7-1-2009 at 12:22 pm
My guess is the reason so many people order tomato juice on airplanes is because it’s easy to find a 3 ounce bottle of vodka that you can take on the plane (3 ounces is the liquid limit per security) but the cans and jars of tomato juice are too big. :-)
posted by Sheldon on 7-1-2009 at 12:23 pm
Now that the homegrown ones are available, I will be eating plenty of them sliced and salted. It’s a crime to eat a good tomato any other way. Perhaps sliced into a salad or with cottage cheese is okay. Making any sort of sauce with homegrown tomatoes should be grounds for execution. Grocery store tomatoes seldom get better than just tolerable and shouldn’t be bought at all.
Canning is okay and using the canned ones later in sauces is as well.
posted by Dave on 7-1-2009 at 12:31 pm
Dave, you are forgetting the grand southern tradition of fried green tomatoes. Celebrity tomatoes when they first show some pink are just the right size and texture for it.
posted by Brian on 7-1-2009 at 12:36 pm
I’ve noticed the airplane thing, too! Whenever I mention to other people, they look at me funny but I swear it is true and I am at a loss to explain it. I don’t see anybody making their own Caesars…
posted by dave on 7-1-2009 at 12:42 pm
I always order tomato juice when I fly. It’s always stopped me from getting motion sickness. It might be psychological, but maybe not.
Tavolini is right, though. It is more filling then other drinks.
posted by kay on 7-1-2009 at 12:48 pm
I’m with Tavolini on the airplane/tomato juice thing, especially these days when you often have to pay for snacks.
As for my choice way of consuming tomatoes: plain. I’ve got cherry tomatoes growing right now and love to just pick and eat them right there in the yard. Mmm. I’m not a ketchup or tomato soup person, but I’ll knock back some V8 from time to time. Salsa is another tasty tomato product.
posted by nutmeag on 7-1-2009 at 1:02 pm
My favorite way to eat tomatoes? In a tomato/mozarella salad:tomatoes with fresh mozarella and basil, drizzled with a really good olive oil….perfection:-)!
posted by Eli on 7-1-2009 at 1:14 pm
I love tomatos and I will eat them right off the vine–sun warmed tomatos taste the best. I admit that salt and pepper on tomato slices are phenomenal, but in truth, I will eat a tomato like one eats an apple and be just as happy.
I also like tomatos baked on my pizza.
posted by Heather on 7-1-2009 at 1:17 pm
I spy a subliminal reference to a Mental_floss Tshirt design…
posted by Ai on 7-1-2009 at 1:25 pm
Totally agree with Tavolini. I always order tomato juice or bloody mary mix, because it’s more like solid food in my system; no alcohol needed. All the other drinks are just thirst-quenchers, but don’t stave off any hunger.
posted by dallaspj on 7-1-2009 at 1:40 pm
Tomato / fresh moz sandwiches are my absolute favorite. Drizzle a little olive oil on the bread, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and salt, and warm (oven, toaster oven, or george foreman grill are all fine). Perfection!
posted by BioloBri on 7-1-2009 at 1:43 pm
I always get tomato juice on a plane because I don’t think about drinking it any other time. So when they offer it to me, there is always the “Oh, yeah” moment.
posted by Jenny on 7-1-2009 at 2:12 pm
I’m with Jenny, I think. I was trying to figure out why I always order tomato juice on the plane. I started doing so as a child, and when I do fly now the thought just occurs to me to have tomato juice. Also, it does go well with the pretzels. I love tomato juice, but it’s so high in sodium that I’m ok with just drinking it the few times a year that I fly. That’s also the only time I buy Life Savers (to suck on during takeoff and landing). Anyone else?
I love tomatoes any which way but sun-dried. Tomato + mozzarella + basil = perfection.
posted by Lindseydl on 7-1-2009 at 3:11 pm
I think the tomato juice on a plane is to reduce motion sickness (my mom swears by it for hangovers). Here’s a great blog from food and wine that includes external links to several theories:
http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/mouthing-off/2008/2/28/Attack-of-the-Flying-Tomatoes
posted by Michelle on 7-1-2009 at 3:58 pm
Wow! This is why I love Mental Floss.
Just the other day (like two days ago) I asked my friends if they have ever noticed that a lot of people order tomato juice on airplanes. They all looked at my funny too.
I fly every other week for work so maybe it’s just the fact I am in the air more.
I despise tomato juice and tomato soup for that matter.
posted by Cody on 7-1-2009 at 4:08 pm
Tomato juice on airplanes has to be a real phenomenon since so many people notice it! I personally can’t stand the stuff or the smell and I always get stuck next to a person drinking it. But I’ve talked about this with someone who travels often and he said he thinks it’s because tomato juice is relatively expensive, and most people don’t like it quite enough to spend the money, so they get it free now and then on airplanes. I’ve never priced tomato juice, so I don’t know how true it is.
posted by CBM on 7-1-2009 at 4:35 pm
It’s partly the “oh yeah” moment as observed by Jenny, and partly that it seems more substantial than just a beverage–but I also order tomato juice because it’s usually a bit salty, and encourages me to stay hydrated during and immediately after the flight.
posted by MomVee on 7-1-2009 at 4:40 pm
When I’m traveling, it seems to be harder to come by any vegetables when grabbing food on the go – not unless you’re willing to pay more or go out of your way to find it. So I get the tomato juice on the plane to fill that \veggie void\ when I’m traveling – it’s very satisfying (to me at least).
posted by SK on 7-1-2009 at 9:22 pm
The best way to eat a tomato is freshly-picked, with salt, on the back steps so the juice doesn’t make a mess in the house. I also like a cup of freshly-stewed tomatoes (with salt) at the end of a canning session.
Or in salsa. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs//archives/17282
posted by Miss Cellania on 7-1-2009 at 9:55 pm
re: tomato juice on planes — since airplane food is now mostly expensive (and not often very vegetarian-friendly), i order tomato juice because it’s more filling and healthier than soda.
reCaptcha: craven Monday
posted by melanie on 7-1-2009 at 10:00 pm
If it is a home grown tomato then my favorite thing is a BLT on white toast with Miracle Whip.
If it isn’t home grown, then you need to process it into something — salsa, cook it, something…but don’t put it on my sandwhich unless you picked it from your garden.
posted by Karen on 7-2-2009 at 12:23 am
I have to laugh about tomato juice on an airplane, since I’ve been doing that for years. Not entirely sure how it started, but I just associate TJ with flying, and it’s a satisfying drink (and as said, it goes well with pretzels).
“I must admit that though I love all tomato-related products, I am not the biggest fan of the tomato itself.”
Ding, ding, ding! I’m exactly the same way. I can’t tolerate eating tomatoes (hate the texture) but I love anything made from tomatoes: ketchup, juice, soup, sauce, salsa.
posted by Kirby on 7-2-2009 at 8:57 am
I agree with others that tomato juice on airplanes just seems like the healthiest option. Plus it’s salty and delicious. Tomatoes are my favorite food in any form, especially freshly grown with salt. My grandmother used to grow tomatoes in her backyard and I loved to pick and eat them. Unfortunately I move around too much in my job to have my own garden (and a black thumb to boot) so I get the ine-ripened tomatoes from the store.
posted by Brandy on 7-2-2009 at 9:25 am
Wow! Like Cody, I am also on unfriendly terms with tomato juice, and always wondered why the person next to me on the plane always seemed to order it. Thank you flossers for acknowledgement that I am not crazy to notice this!
posted by dagnabbit on 7-2-2009 at 5:47 pm
I drink tomato juice on planes because I associate it with travel, like getting V8 at a rest area. It just is.
My favorite way to eat a tomato? In a sandwich, with toasted bread, with soy sauce on the tomatoes and mayo or miracle whip. Good!
posted by Wendy on 7-2-2009 at 10:41 pm
I prefer tomatoes fresh, but any way you serve them, I will eat them. Although I only like ketchup on fried rice (it’s a Ghanaian thing, grosses most of my non-Gh’n friends out).
I also always get the tomato juice on an airplane. I’m with kay on this, it helps settle the stomach. It’s the salt(pretzels, saltines, or other non-greasy foods work too). It helps quell nausea, although I’m not sure why.
posted by AbenaC on 7-3-2009 at 1:56 am