The poison apple thing is based on works of Galen, who, seeing how he lived in Europe in the 3rd century, has never seen a tomato, nor spoken to anyone who has. But he did describe a poisonous “wolf peach” that happened to match a tomato, so obviously that must be it.
Comment on The Nightshade Family
millie@beehaw.org 4 weeks agoEuropeans used to think tomatoes were poisonous. They referred to them as poison apples.
bob_lemon@feddit.org 4 weeks ago
mysticpickle@lemmy.ca 4 weeks ago
That’s because they used pewter containers which were pretty common back in the day. The acidity from tomatoes would leech the lead out of the pewter and into the tomato so anyone eating this lead infused tomato product was gonna be in for a bad time.
millie@beehaw.org 4 weeks ago
I remember hearing that but I’d forgotten the specifics! Thanks!