Physalis ixocarpa, is a plant of many names, most of which reflect the resemblance between its fruit and that of a true tomato in the green state. Tomatillo means little tomato, apt because its size is usually no more than 2.5 cm (1″) across, although some specimens measure more than twice as much.
Other names include green tomato, since it remains green even when ripe; husk tomato, since like other physalis fruits it grows inside a papery calyx or husk, in this instance brown; and sometimes Spanish tomato, not because it is known in Spain, but because it grows in Mexico. Another, better, name is Mexican husk tomato. (The plant abounds in Mexico and Guatemala, and was a staple in the Aztec and Maya economies.)
The fruit itself is thin skinned, and when ripe may vary in colour from green to yellow, or purple. The flesh is pale yellow, crisp or soft; acid, subacid, or sweet; and contains many tiny seeds.
Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz (1979) writes: ‘The green tomato is very important in Mexican, and to a lesser extent Guatemalan, cooking, giving a distinctive flavor to the “green” dishes and sauces. The flavor is delicate and slightly acid.’ Fresh tomatillos have to be cooked for a few minutes to bring out the flavour properly. They are an essential ingredient of guacamole (see avocado).
The tomatillo fruits well in Queensland, Australia, and in S. Africa. It was introduced into India (Rajasthan) in the 1950s and is used to make a sweet chutney.
P. philadelphica, sometimes called wild tomatillo (or purple ground cherry), is also cultivated in some places.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
