Today tomatoes form the base of many cuisines, and multiple countries lay claim to their own signature tomato sauce.

Spanish

It was the Spaniards who introduced the tomato to Europe, and they did so by frying it up with other vegetables, like eggplant and squash. Today, iconic Spanish dishes like paella, gazpacho and bravas sauce (used in tapas to mop up everything from potatoes to chorizo) all rely heavily on tomatoes. They’re also partial to slicing it in half and eating it like an apple with a sprinkle of salt. La Tomatina festival is a messy celebration held each year in the town of Bunol, celebrating the country’s love of the red fruit.

Italian

Lasagne, ragu Bolognese, penne Napolitana, Caprese salad – it’s hard to picture Italian food before the arrival of the tomato. The first recorded evidence of tomato-based sauces is from the 18^th century, but it was the creation of pizza Margherita in Naples in the 19^th century that cemented the pomodoro’s place at the centre of Italian cuisine.

Middle Eastern

Across Iran, Afghanistan, Israel, Cyprus, Lebanon and Turkey, the tomato is the most ubiquitous ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s used fresh in a rainbow of salads and cooked in almost every stew, broth and tagine – not to mention grilled with kebab and other mezze.

French

Tomatoes are used generously throughout French cooking. They are cooked with other vegetables in ratatouille, the pauper’s classic from Nice; simmered with chicken, wine and mushrooms in coq au vin; added to rich and hearty winter casseroles; and enjoyed on baguettes with a smear of butter and slice of fromage.

Mexican

Sauces and salsas reign supreme in Mexico and many of these are made from a base of tomatoes. There’s the tomato sauce from Yucatan featuring a whole habanero chilli, coriander and white onion; the classic Mexican mole, a sauce made using chocolate, tomatoes and a wad of herbs, that is usually eaten with chicken; a plethora of salsas; and of course, the holy guacamole.