But in the early 1800's, the earlie

But in the early 1800's, the earliest records of marketing tomatoes begin to appear in Europe. From that time onward, the diffusion of the plant in the Mediterranean region grew rapidly. By the beginning of the 19th century, the red berry became quite popular in Southern Europe, growing profusely in the southern regions of Spain, France and Italy. Then, as the century wore on and pasta and pizza became more and more commercially available, the tomato at last found its mates and worked its way into the heart of Mediterranean cuisine.