Yes it is interesting. But I found it interesting not because of how it came into use in Italy but the eurocentric or americentric view of the author in the following quote:
“The odd thing is that the tomato became popular in Europe long before it came to be used in North America.”
I guess its use by the indigenous of México didn’t count!
Quick question:
Tomatillo, tomate verde – is this a regional difference? I occasionally watch some Mexican cooking Youtube channels (even though I really don’t speak Spanish beyond understanding cooking terms) and it seems that both terms are used. Are there parts of Mexico where one term is more common than the other? Or is it used interchangeably everywhere?
Also, I’ve always wondered about tomate vs jitomate? Also a regional thing? Can you say “jitomate verde”?
Oh, and while we’re at it, tomate verde – do you ever use unripe green tomatoes in Mexican cooking? If so, are they just called “unripe tomatoes” or something like that since “tomate verde” refers to what I know as tomatillo? Or is it a contextual thing?
The nahuatl word was tomatl but there were different names for different varieties. Tomate verde, tomate de càscara or just tomate is what you’ll hear here in Jalisco and nearby states and in the south. I think tomatillo is maybe used more in north Mèxico. Then there are miltomates or tomate milpero which grow among the corn or calabaza plants. They are usually a lot smaller in size and have a sweeter flavor. My mother and my wife both preferred the miltomate when making a salsa cruda. My grandfather used to plant corn and miltomate on some land he owned outside of Guadalajara. They would use a method called “a voleo” where they tossed the seeds randomly, I think scatter is the right word. We were always treated to a really good pozole verde made with the miltomate and fresh corn (not dry maiz pozolero that you may know) at harvest.
Jitomate comes from the nahuatl xitomatl. I would say either jitomate verde or jitomate no maduro for green tomato. But to confuse you even more, large tomato producers will often use the word tomate for tomato. I don’t know of any dishes that use green tomatoes. I asked my wife who is very knowledgeable on traditional cooking and she said she didn’t know of any but there may be dishes in other parts of the country that use them.
Ah, yes, we get those around here, too. Labeled as “tomatillo milpero.” I’ve never explored them enough to figure out what the difference between them and regular tomatillos were.
I should say, it’s not super popular around here, either, but they are user for at least pickled green tomatoes and fried green tomatoes (which are much more usual in the South, not where I’m from). One of the supermarkets in my area does sell unripened green tomatoes (on purpose), though. I assume they are used by some of the picklers in the area, but I don’t know for certain.
Mine started with his setup, and in the episode, he talked about the salt to “other” ratio. I removed the salt all together, so that I can salt my food independently of the spice mix. Sometimes I need/want more flavor, but don’t need more salt.
I should probably leave the cornstarch out as well, so that component can be adjusted as needed.
I fiddled with my spice mix quite a bit, adding chipotle powder, cinnamon, and a bit of cocoa as well. Added a nice richness to the flavors. I don’t think mine currently has coriander, but I think I need to add it back in.