Generally speaking the tomato is a red, spherical vegetable fruit, with soft red flesh and multiple seeds held in a jelly like substance. There are varieties in all the colours from yellow to purple or almost black, and varying in size from "cherry" tomatoes at the size of a marble through to huge beefsteak tomatoes which can weigh as much as 500g (1 lb) for a single fruit. Various plum varieties of tomato, literally plum shaped, and particularly Italian ones, are valued for their use in cuisine. Tomatoes are hugely versatile, being a useful raw addition to salads, both for their colour and flavour, and as an ingredient in cooking rich sauces. It is astonishing to think that the tomato is such a recent addition to the cuisine of Europe having been brought from South America by the Spanish during the 16th Century.
