Like carrots, tomatoes have a sweet taste which makes them suitable for both savoury
and sweet recipes. In fact, they can be used as a basic ingredient to make granitas and sorbets, as well as sauces. They can be a side dish for meat and fish, or they can be stuffed and served as a main course.
The tomato is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Solanaceae family and is native to Central and South America. Nowadays, it is considered an icon of Italian cuisine.
The origin of its Italian name, “pomodoro”, is the union of “pomo” (apple) and “d’oro” (golden), which refers to the golden yellow colour it used to have before it became geographically widespread, when it became red.