>>
>>>Tomatoes are ubiquitous in Italy. Between the myriad variants of
>>>tomato sauces and the settings where tomatoes served fresh, are
>>>pickled, dried and/or salted, they're virtually omnipresent.
>>
>>
>> Sorry, this is just plain wrong. They aren't. I spend a fair amount of
>> each year in Italy (my wife is Italian). I agree with Arri London on
>> this. Also, he didn't say he doesn't like tomatoes. Indeed he said he
>> had them in salads.
>>
>

I agree with Cookie. First, my own experience in southern Italy in the summer
agrees with Cookie's observation that Italians eat plenty of tomatoes in
various forms. Second, Italy is one of the top tomato producers in the world.
While many tomatoes are exported to other countries, the vast majority remain
in Italy for domestic use. I tend to think they eat them. Third, if you look at
any southern Italian (or Sicilian) cookbooks, you will find dozens of uses of
tomatoes in numerous dishes from soups, to sauces, to salads, to pizza, to
juice, etc. (and recipes with tomatoes have been in southern Italian cookbooks
since the late 17th century).

I doubt if you will find any other fruit or vegetable that is used in such
quantities or in so many different ways as tomatoes, but if others have
contrary evidence, let's see it.

Andy Smith