In the history of food, the tomato is a relative newcomer, but it would now be impossible to imagine the food cultures of many nations without it.

The journey taken by the tomato from its ancestral home in the southern Americas to Europe and back is a riveting story full of discovery, innovation, drama and dispute. Today the tomato is at the forefront of scientific advances and heritage conservation, but it has faced challenges every step of its way into our gardens and kitchens, not to mention the eternal question facing this food: is it a fruit or a vegetable?

In Tomato: A Global History Clarissa Hyman charts the eventful history of this ubiquitous everyday item — one that is often taken for granted — covering everything from tomato soup and ketchup to heritage tomatoes, tomato varieties, breeding and genetics, nutrition, tomatoes in Italy, tomatoes in art and tomatoes for the future. Featuring delicious modern and historical recipes, such as the infamous ‘man-winning tomato salad’, this is a juicy and informative history of one of our most beloved foods.