”
And just bring out the cold chicken and tomatoes!
Tomatoes were supposedly a plant known to the Hobbits.
Other versions of the legendarium
Tomatoes were referenced in the first edition of The Hobbit,[1] but J.R.R. Tolkien changed this to "pickles" in the third edition (1966).[2] The most usual explanation for the change is that the American plant-life would not fit in his setting of ancient Middle-earth. However, as pointed out by John D. Rateliff, it may have been simply that Tolkien felt that it was too early in the year for tomatoes and substituted a preserved food instead.[3]
Portrayal in adaptations
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:
- Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck are all cooking tomatoes, along with sausages and bacon, over their campfire at Weathertop when Frodo wakes up. In a panic, Frodo stamps his foot on the fire to put it out before the Black Riders see it, and Pippin complains that Frodo got ash all over his tomatoes.
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
- Denethor asks Peregrin to sing to him while he feasts. He eats tomatoes as Faramir charges on Osgiliath.
2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:
- Tomatoes are among the food stocked in the Bag End pantry.
See also
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), “The First Phase: The Bladorthin Typescript,” in The History of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins (2007), p. 34
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), “The First Phase: The Bladorthin Typescript,” in The History of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins (2007), note 11, p. 43
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), “The Fifth Phase: New Chapter I. A Well-Planned Party,” in The History of The Hobbit: Return to Bag-End (2007), note 18, p. 18