In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, but it wasn't just a little gold he brought back to the European continent. He introduced Europe to history's most admired vegetable. This vegetable, in the same family as tomatoes and potatoes, carries an addictive plant alkaloid named after Jean Nicot de Villemain and was widely touted for its health benefits. Listen to this episode on the most admired vegetable that brings together Columbus, Cuba, Connecticut, and the cultivars Virginia, Burley, and Oriental.
