Native Americans cultivated tomatoes for centuries before Europeans arrived. When these strange fruits reached Europe in the 1500s, they were met with fear and suspicion. As members of the nightshade family, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous and were called poison apples or death apples. In reality, their acidity leached lead from pewter plates, causing poisoning among wealthy people while wooden plates were safe. In Italy, tomatoes were grown for aesthetic reasons until tomato sauce appeare