In a society that gets off on scandal, sex, and cheeseburgers, there are certain things, however seemingly simple or unimportant, that keep our appetites fresh. The fruits of our labor -- or the fruits we eat after a long day laboring –satisfy our hunger, but only temporarily. Eventually, we always want more.

In the end, tomatoes matter. Or so the Internet Shrine to the Tomato says.

While some household names have long, complex histories of tortured home lives, discouraged youths, and brilliant later successes, the tomato's trouble-free past can be summed up with a short string of nouns: South America, Incas, Spanish monks, Thomas Jefferson, and the love apple. It’s a worldly and romantic past, but nevertheless elegantly simple. The tomato's only major tragedy is that it has consistently been overlooked for its great flexibility: tomatoes are salad ingredients, condiments, and, served by themselves, delicious treats.

The Internet Shrine to the Tomato encourages people to take a real stance on the issue of the tomato. Not only does the site try to debunk common tomato misconceptions like 1) the vine-grown food is a fruit, not a vegetable and 2) all ripe tomatoes aren’t simply red, but also green or even (gasp!) purple, it also suggests that we should love and appreciate the varieties, colors, and background of the beloved fruit because tomatoes are the only fruits we ever expect in a salad. Additionally, with its comprehensive tips on planting and harvesting, this tomato temple offers visitors the chance to grow their very own patches and even entire gardens. And once an expert on le pomme d'amour, Web viewers can use their knowledge to make an educated vote for their favorite type of tomato.

In the same way that the simple white background allows the tomato's image to shine on the online shrine, after a few minutes clicking around this fruity altar, the legacy of the tomato will dance its way into your heart.