Who doesn’t love the character called “Tow-Mater” from the Disney movie “Cars?” He was a tow truck whose name was Mater, which made his nickname was clever as well as cute. If I were named Mater, my nickname would be “No-Mater.” Why?
Hang on to your hats!
I’m a Southerner who doesn’t eat tomatoes. Yep, you read that right. If there’s a tomato to be served in our house, somebody else has to cut it up. I don’t even want the tomato juice on my hands.
Hard to believe?
It is for most people in these parts. It literally blows their minds. I’ve had this said to me several times, “You don’t eat tomatoes? Where’re you from?”
Here’s another one: “What do you mean you don’t tomatoes? You eat spaghetti, pizza, and chili.” Yes I do. And I also eat ketchup on my fries. While these foods do have tomatoes in them or a tomato base, they also have spices. I love spices, and usually the blend is more spices than tomatoes.
There have been a few time I wouldn’t eat ketchup or spaghetti sauces because they were too “tomatoey.” That’s a term I use to describe something when I taste more tomato than the spice.
Oh, and here’s something else I do, even in nice restaurants. If I see pieces of tomato in my dish, I push them over to the side or onto a napkin. I don’t even like the thought of eating them.
In my defense, I believe there’s a “Mater”-hating gene in the Janeway side of my family. My uncle is like me in that he doesn’t like tomatoes either, but he will also eat some things with tomatoes in it as long as it’s not too “tomatoey.”
My great grandfather, Papaw Janeway, was a little different story in that he passionately hated tomatoes. He refused to eat anything that had anything to do with one. He wouldn’t touch a tomato. By the way, he was born and raised in Union County. In fact, the family has been in this area since the late 18th century.
Yes, the three of us were and are unusual for Southerners. And that’s okay. That’s just the way the Good Lord made us. And He knows best.
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14 (KJV)