The history of tomatoes in Chinese and Italian cuisine is a surprisingly short but still interesting one. Two of my favorite dishes, spaghetti allo scoglio (seafood pasta) and番茄紅燒牛肉麵(tomato beef noodle soup), are both defined by how they use tomatoes in similar but radically different ways. The subtle distinctions in taste, texture, and appearance in each dish create flavor experiences that are distinct and memorable. In the case of spaghetti allo scoglio and other Italian dishes, tomatoes are one of the central ingredients in Italy’s cuisine and are a significant part of its worldwide popularity. However, the use of tomato sauce with pasta is a relatively recent innovation, only beginning in the late 19th century. Similarly, tomatoes were previously limited to a summertime staple in Chinese cuisine, though they are currently gaining popularity due to their incorporation into many popular dishes, such as the aforementioned tomato beef noodle soup. The changing role of tomatoes in both Italian and Chinese cuisine is a reflection of how tomatoes themselves have been viewed throughout the centuries. The production, distribution, and consumption of tomatoes have all undergone radical changes over the years due to improving technology and changing cultural mores, ultimately resulting in the predominant role that they now have. From a shunned vegetable that was once associated with Satanism, tomatoes have taken center stage in Italian cuisine and are becoming an increasingly important part of Chinese cuisine, changes that will no doubt accelerate in the years to come.
The late entrance of the tomato into Italian cuisine is partially explained by the fact that the plant is not native to Italy, or to Europe for that matter. Tomatoes originated in the New World, beginning as a wild plant found in Ecuador, Peru, and northern Chile, eventually migrating north, where the Mayans and Aztecs modified them into larger, more edible varieties. It is from the Aztecs that the name “tomato” was fashioned, from their word for the plant, “tomatl.” Tomatoes entered the European consciousness following the conquest of the Aztecs by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, as colonists procured samples of the strange new vegetable and sent them home. Tomatoes reached Italy in 1548, where they were given a chilly-but-curious reception at first due to their unusual qualities. They were initially associated with eggplants, another foreign vegetable that had been introduced to Europe from abroad, in this case from the Middle East. Much like tomatoes, it took hundreds of years for eggplants to become an accepted ingredient in the Italian diet, and both vegetables were believed to cause malign effects to the body.
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The role of tomatoes in Chinese culture has followed a similar trajectory to their introduction in Italy. Tomatoes arrived in China sometime in the late 16th or early 17th centuries, where they initially met a reaction that was equal parts confused and curious. Tomatoes were labeled “foreign eggplants” due to their superficial resemblance to eggplants and were initially viewed with skepticism.The Register of Flowers《群芳谱》written in 1621 records: “Fan Persimmon, a June persimmon, is a type of persimmon that is four or five feet tall, has leaves like celery wormwood and knots of four or five… originated from the West, hence the name.”— the word “fan” of tomato originates from its foreign origin. Over time, tomatoes won greater acceptance in Chinese cooking and found a niche in certain Chinese cuisines, though not to the degree with which they became ubiquitous in Italy. In particular, the invention of stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs was a breakthrough in Chinese culinary development, placing the tomato front and center in China’s dietary revolution.
If a drought-parched plant lets out a scream, but it’s at a frequency too high to hear, does it count as a cry of distress?According to astudyposted on the preprint server bioRxiv last week, the answer could very well be yes. (And we’re not talking aboutfolklorish mandrakes.)
For the first time, researchers appear to have evidence that, like animals, plants can audibly vocalize their agony when deprived of water or forced to endure bodily harm. The study, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, adds another dimension to scientists’ growing understanding of how plants detect and interact with their surroundings—despite lacking many of the sensory organs their faunal counterparts deploy.
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Actually making that anguish audible, however, is another matter entirely. To test that possibility, a team led by Itzhak Khait, a plant scientist at Tel Aviv University in Israel, placed microphones capable of detecting ultrasonic frequencies four inches from tomato and tobacco plants, then either stopped watering them or snipped their stems.
Measuring in the range of 20 to 150 kilohertz, the researchers found that even happy, healthy plants made the occasional noise. But when cut, tobacco plants emitted an average of 15 sounds within an hour of being cut, while tomato plants produced 25 sounds. Stress from drought—brought on by up to ten days without water—elicited about 11 squeals per hour from the tobacco plants, and about 35 from the tomato plants.
Rick and Morty enter meta-reality after feuding with Previous Leon, a back-breaking version of Jesus Christ, and Season 4's villain, Story Lord. The tyrant takes Rick's portal gun and goes into their "reality" to change things, leaving Rick and the boy stranded. Luckily, they're found by Joseph Campbell, who takes them in and makes soup, making the obvious pun.
Literature fans would remember his tenure at Sarah Lawrence College, working in comparative mythology and comparative religion. Campbell, one of America's most renowned writers who died at age 83 in 1987, often pushed the envelope of the concept behind a hero, to the point even George Lucas credits him for sparkingthe idea ofStarWars. Thus, it'd make sense that he offers advice on Rick and Morty's mission and how to stop Story Lord.
Using Joseph's wisdom, they work with Leon and get back into their reality. Story Lord's co-opted one of the show's writers, Jan (a mash-up of actual creators, Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon), using a machine to suck out the motivation of the entire world to give Story Lord a better arc. Rick attacks the enemy, but Campbell's ghost appears once more, coaching Morty to stop Jan.
Campbell's words are quite therapeutic, serving as a classroom session, as Morty tells Jan it's okay to fail at writing and to start again. Jan stops the machine,allowing Rick and Mortyto win, with Campbell also urging Rick to kill his "creation" in Story Lord. In the end, it's a lesson on scrapping plots and not letting mistakes bog you down, but before they depart Campbell confesses that he hopes this brings Rick and Morty back to their usual essence as he's frankly bored with the direction at present.
