‘Fruit Brought Forth by the Sun’

Mr R. Henderson of Katikati packing tamarillos for export to Brisbane, July 1971
Image courtesy of the Gifford-Cross Collection, NZME, Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo, Pae Korokī Ref. gca-19469

When this recipe booklet fell from the pages of my mother’s Des Britton cookbook, I was delighted to discover that it was issued by several local fruit-growers’ associations.[i] At the top of the list of publishers was The Bay of Plenty Sub-tropical Fruits Association. Formed in May 1947, the group’s first resolution was to print precisely this kind of material in a bid to overcome what they saw as a major hindrance to the success of their enterprise - the consumer’s ‘ignorance’ of unfamiliar fruits.[ii]

 

‘Recipes: Sub-tropical and Citrus Fruits’ found in my mother’s 1970s cookbook
Images courtesy of Fiona Kean

Two months later, the first pamphlet featuring the tree tomato was ready for sale. Big things were expected of this ‘versatile fruit’ and in 1949 its production outstripped other sub-tropical varieties by a significant margin – 450 tons compared to 50 tons of passion fruit, 35 tons of Chinese gooseberries (kiwifruit) and 10 tons of feijoas.[iii] It was anticipated that 250 tons would be canned in Hastings the following season. Tree tomatoes grown in the Bay of Plenty were finally going places.[iv]

The historic Ōtūmoetai home, Maungawhare, circa 1900,
just a few years after this advertisement (below) was placed in the Bay of Plenty Times
Image courtesy of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Ref. 03-361

The first mention in the newspaper of a tree tomato growing in New Zealand was in May 1890 when the Waikato Times reported that Mr G. Mason of Claudelands Nursery was growing the ‘novelty’ from seed imported from Ceylon.[v] Two years later, papers were reporting plants for sale in Thames and in 1895 J. J. Bettelheim, a nurseryman and market gardener in Ōtūmoetai, Tauranga, was advertising for customers to inspect his tree tomato plants.[vi]

Astute readers will note that by the time my mother’s pamphlet was printed the fruit had undergone a re-brand and were sold as tamarillos. The new name was first suggested in 1966 by Mr W. Thomson the chairman of the Tree Tomato Advertising and Promotion Committee. It was officially adopted on April 4, 1967, at a ceremony held at Waitangi. Thomson explained the meaning:

“The first section of the composite name Tama, had been chosen as a compliment to New Zealand, the country of adoption. It also had historical significance, Tama being the commander of one of the early migratory canoes which brought the Maoris [sic] to New Zealand from Polynesia … The tree tomato was a native of Brazil and Peru. In these two countries the fruit is known as Paolo de tomate and tomate de arbol, which translated literally means tree tomato … we are endeavouring to get away from the association with the word tomato, but as a compliment to the countries of origin the final portion of this has been retained as Tillo. The letter T was replaced in Tillo make it easier to pronounce.”

Now is the perfect time to learn more about the tamarillo and fruit growing in our region, with the opening of the Western Bay Museum’s exhibition ‘The Food Bowl of Plenty’. To hear more about it, listen to museum manager Paula Gaelic on RNZ. Not to mention that tamarillo season has begun!

References

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[i] Best known in the 70s and 80s as a restaurateur and TV chief, Sir Des Britton was ordained an Anglican Priest in 1983 and served as the head of the Wellington City Mission from 1996 to 2011.

[ii] Calling themselves the ‘Small Sub-Tropical Fruits Association’ the later dropped the word ‘small’. Bay of Plenty Times, Vol. LXXV, Issue 14370, 21 May 1947, p.3.

[iii] Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue7139, 30 November 1949, p. 6.

[iv] Bay of Plenty Times, Vol. LXXVII, Issue 15068, 31 August 1949, p.2.

[v] Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2784, 17 May 1890, p. 2.

[vi] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXI, Issue 3261, 6 May 1895, p.5.