Tomato sauce is a staple ingredient in many cuisines around the world. However, it is most closely associated with Italian and Mexican foods. So which cuisine can lay claim to being the original home of tomato sauce – Italy or Mexico?
Brief history of tomatoes
To understand the origins of tomato sauce, we first need to look at the history of the tomato itself. Tomatoes originated in South America, likely in the Andean region encompassing parts of Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia. The earliest domesticated tomato seeds dating back to 500-700 AD were found in tombs in Mexico. Spanish conquistadors brought tomatoes back to Europe from Mexico in the early 16th century.
However, Europeans initially had some hesitation about eating tomatoes, which belonged to the nightshade family and were thought to be poisonous. Tomatoes were first cultivated as an ornamental plant in Europe. But by the late 16th century, tomatoes were starting to be incorporated into Italian and Spanish cuisines, appearing in recipe books by the mid-17th century.
History of tomato sauce in Italy
While tomatoes likely first arrived in Italy from Mexico, tomato sauce as we know it today traces its early origins to Italian cuisine. One of the earliest known Italian cookbooks, “Lo Scalco alla Moderna” written by Antonio Latini in 1692, contains a recipe for “Tomato Sauce, Spanish Style.” The recipe calls for onion, parsley, basil, marjoram, salt, and pepper to be added to peeled tomatoes after they have been boiled and passed through a sieve. Latini’s recipe is for a thin, uncooked tomato sauce which could be described as one of the first Italian tomato sauces.
By the 18th century, tomato sauces and tomato paste were becoming more commonplace components of Italian meals, especially in the region around Naples. The culinary traditions of Naples gave birth to what we now associate as typical Italian tomato sauce. Neapolitan tomato sauces tended to contain tomatoes as a base, flavored with ingredients like onion, garlic, herbs, olive oil and sometimes meat. The 1903 cookbook “Cucina Casereccia in Dialetto Napoletano” contains one of the earliest printed recipes for Neapolitan ragù, a tomato and meat sauce that is believed to have later evolved into the dish we now know as Bolognese sauce.
Therefore, while the tomato itself traces its roots to Mexico, the origins and early development of cooked tomato sauces can be attributed to Italian chefs and cookbook authors in the 17th and 18th centuries.
History of tomato sauce in Mexico
Fresh and cooked tomato sauces are also an integral part of Mexican cuisine. While it is unclear exactly when tomatoes first started being used in Mexican cooking, tomatoes were being cultivated in Mexico by the 1520s and likely were being eaten shortly thereafter. The earliest known published Mexican cookbook, “El cocinero mexicano” from 1831, contains multiple recipes using tomatoes.
However, most sources agree that red sauces and salsas made with tomatoes did not become common in Mexican cooking until the late 19th century. This is likely because common varieties of Mexican tomatoes before this time were yellow or green, not red. The spread of red tomato varieties in Mexico in the late 1800s coincided with the increased use of red tomato sauces.
By the 1890s, recipes for enchiladas with red sauce began appearing in Mexican cookbooks such as “El Cocinero Nacional.” Simpler tomato sauces like salsa ranchera (roasted tomatoes, chilies and spices) were also in regular use in Mexican kitchens by the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While fresh salsa has long been a part of Mexican cuisine, cooked tomato sauces and enchilada sauces were relatively late additions, developing after tomato sauces were already commonplace in Italian cooking.
Use of tomatoes and tomato sauces today
Tomatoes and tomato sauces continue to be staple ingredients in the cuisines of both Italy and Mexico. Here is a comparison of how tomatoes are used in each country’s cooking:
| Use in Italian cuisine | Use in Mexican cuisine |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes are a common ingredient in salads and antipasto dishes. | Tomatoes are most often used cooked, such as roasted, fried or stewed. |
| Tomato sauce is a basis for many pasta dishes like spaghetti with meatballs. | Tomato sauces and salsas are served with tacos, enchiladas and other dishes. |
| Thick, rich tomato sauces often contain meat or vegetables. | Mexican tomato sauces tend to be thinner and vegetable-based. |
| Tomatoes are commonly sun-dried or canned. | Tomatoes are more often roasted, fried or charred. |
| Tomatoes and tomato sauce are used in Italian soups like minestrone. | Tomatillos, not tomatoes, are the main base for most Mexican soups and stews. |
As we can see, tomatoes are central ingredients in both cuisines, but are used in different ways in Mexican versus Italian cooking.
Conclusion
Based on the history and evolution of tomato sauces, it seems clear that the Italian version has earlier origins as a foundational component of recipes starting in the 17th century. While tomatoes themselves originated in Mexico, cooked tomato sauces became commonplace in Mexican cuisine about 200 years after they were already established in Italy.
The techniques of simmering tomatoes seasoned with herbs and onions into a sauce traces back most directly to 18th century Neapolitan cooks who likely borrowed the central ingredient of tomatoes from the New World. But the methods they developed created a sauce that became a signature of Italian cuisine going forward.
At the same time, tomato sauces are now also an essential part of Mexican culinary tradition. Food cultures borrow ingredients and techniques from other parts of the world and adapt them into their own cuisine. This cross-cultural exchange has given us iconic dishes like spaghetti and enchiladas in tomato sauce that are strongly identified with their country of origin, even if the raw materials originated elsewhere.
While Italian tomato sauce may have earlier origins, both Italy and Mexico can equally lay claim to tomato sauces as an integral part of their culinary heritage today. The popularity of tomato sauces transcends borders, with these bright, flavorful sauces enjoyed around the globe wherever Italian and Mexican food is cooked.
References
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