Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

A MUST have ingredient in tomato pasta sauce, tomatoes helps lend a
sour tang to various cuisines around the world and is a fruit that can
be eaten raw.

Tomato refers to the plant (Solanum lycopersicum) and the fruit which it bears.

Tomato is a fruit but is commonly mistaken for a vegetable as it is
used among other vegetables in the culinary sense.


Many uses: Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene.

The fruit is consumed in many ways and can be used in sauces, roasted,
fried, sauteed, added to soups and also used in drinks.

Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant compound and cooked tomatoes
have higher levels of lycopene.

Studies have suggested that lycopene has beneficial health effects
especially in helping to keep some cancers at a distance.

The tomato belongs to the nightshade family.

The plants typically grow to 1–3 metres in height with a weak stem
that often sprawls over the ground and vines over other plants.

It is a perennial in its native habitat but often grown outdoors in
temperate climates as an annual.