The "Poison" Fruit That Became a Luxury

When tomatoes were first brought to France from the Americas in the 16th century, the upper classes refused to eat them. Because the plant belongs to the nightshade family, wealthy aristocrats believed the fruit was highly toxic. For decades, French nobles only grew tomatoes in their gardens as ornamental, decorative plants to show off their wealth. It took centuries of peasant cooking to finally convince the royals that tomatoes were safe to eat.