Tuesday 22 May 2018

Post 224--Tomatoes: Opening up of History


I have occasionally used the word "Reformational" or "Reformational Philosophy," a perspective to which I adhere.  It is also known by other names like "Neo-Calvinism" or "Kuyperianism" and, more recently, "Transformationalism." These names all have their reasons in history and are valid. However, "transformationalism" seems to be taking over as the most popular right now.  Fine. I have no problem with it.  In fact, my pastor, Trevor Vander Veen of the Vancouver Christian Reformed Church has outrightly adopted it as his favourite term in his recent doctoral dissertation. I go along with him, except that I have used "Reformational" or some derivative for long in all my writings and publications, so that I will stick to that one, though I have come to prefer "transformationalism."  Bear with me and remember that, please, in subsequent posts. The "scientific" formula from now on in this blog is:

                                        Reformationalism=Transformationalism

I use "Reformational" or "Reformationalism;" you think "Transformational" or "Transformationalism."  Agreed?

The Reformational perspective is big on the idea of the dynamic opening up of history as central to its philosophy of history. Today, as you may have suspected from the title of this post, I will refer to the history of the "humble" tomato as an example of this opening up process.  Brian Minter of Chilliwack BC is one of the main gardeners in our province. Just check out many of his online articles. In this post, I refer you to his article in the Vancouver Sun of May 12, 2018, (p. C2). See the website at the bottom of this article if you want to read it in its entirety. He wrote the history of the acceptance of the tomato among the nations and cultures of this world.

As popular as the tomato is today, probably in every nation where it can grow, that has not always been the case. Minter writes that it "suffered from bad PR for 300 years." Its early history may be a bit foggy: among the people of the Andean Mountains in South America, "they may have been eaten by the local indigenous peoples," but there is no evidence they cultivated it. Animals also ate them and may have been responsible for its spread. The Aztecs were the first to cultivate them.  In 1520, Hernan Cortes saw the tomato in a local market, took it home to Spain, from where it spread elsewhere. Early "experts" declared it dangerous and thought it provokes "loathing and vomiting."

From Europe it was carried back to the Americas, where the Puritans thought it looked "too sensuous" and must be evil. However, an American world traveler Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson brought home a collection of various seeds and sought to dispel the notion they were dangerously poisonous. He announced he would publicly eat a whole basket full of them in Salem, NJ.  His physician predicted dire health consequences such as "foam and froth at the mouth,... double over with appendicitis,...and expose himself to brain fever." Enough to scare anyone away, I should think.

He survived the ordeal and gave the tomato a new start. By 1835 it had become a staple in the American diet. Sorry, Minter lives in BC, but I do not know his history. Whatever, it is a pity he ignores the Canadian history of the tomato. Well, I have complained about that issue before and do not know just how to avoid that annoyance without spending a lot of extra time on these blogs, which I do not have. At least, Minter lives and writes in Canada, BC even. Today, Canadians as well as their American cousins, grow "hundreds of varieties."

Since I am generally fascinated by food (probably too much!), I find this a very interesting story. Something so common and yet such a convoluted history.  As a half-baked Reformational philosopher, I....  No, wait, I am not a philosopher, not even a half-baked one; I am an adherent, a consumer of philosophy, a practitioner. This is a great example of the opening up of the historical process from near nothing to hundreds of varieties, from the almost unknown to the highest refinement and popularity.                                                         

So, thanks, Mr. Minter, for your hard work of gardening and for helping people enjoy not only the fruit of your research, but even the tomato itself. A great story. I encourage you, readers, to read his whole story at <  http://vancouversun.com/homes/gardening/brian-minter-tomatoes-are-making-up-for-lost-time >, and then look him up for more of his stories on the internet. An interesting example of the opening up of history--and a delight to eat!

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