Trench Tomatoes: The marmande example

摘要

Although the tomato arrived on European shores in the 16th century, it took a surprisingly long time for the French to embrace the vegetable. Unlike their Spanish and Italian neighbors who adopted the tomato quickly and used it frequently in their respective cuisines, the French remained wary of the New World import. Writing in 1803, France's great food historian, Brillat-Savarin, noted, "This vegetable or fruit, as one may call it, was almost wholly unknown in Paris 15 years ago."