THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF THE TOMATO: ITS FRUIT, LEAF AND PLANT

This chapter is fundamental, since classification is the cornerstone of the Sapiens method. Classification allows us to order the available information about the reality of the plant, a necessary condition in order to generate new knowledge. In this way, for example, we see that the tomato can be viewed from different angles, such as the harvesting season, the state of ripening, its colour or the type of processing it undergoes.

Classification has also helped us to investigate parts of the plant that have not yet been explored in the culinary field. In this chapter, we not only establish classifications for the fruit – the tomato – but also for the plant and the leaf. To conclude, we will examine the concept of quality, a vital criterion in gastronomy.

Then, to test its usefulness, we apply these classification criteria to a particular variety: the Monterosa tomato.