Vegetable
Tomatillo
Tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica) are green (or purple) husk-wrapped fruits with bright, tart, citrus-herbal flavour essential to Mexican salsas verdes. They are not unripe tomatoes; the papery husk and sticky skin are distinctive. Husk, rinse, and roast or boil for salsa; raw for fresh salsa when ripe enough. Firm fruits keep well refrigerated. Cooked tomatillos thicken sauces with pectin.
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A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles.
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Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 0.32 g
- Saturated Fat 0.05 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.05 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.14 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 20.3 mg
- Salt 0.05 g
- Total Carbohydrate 6.93 g
- Dietary Fibre 2.42 g
- Total Sugars 3.11 g
- Complex / starch 2.11 g
- Protein 2.14 g
- Water 95.1 g
- Energy 36.5 kcal
- Water 95.1 g
- Carbohydrates 6.93 g
- Sugars 3.11 g
- Monosaccharides 2.18 g
- Disaccharides 0.94 g
- Starch 2.11 g
- Amylose 0.53 g
- Amylopectin 1.58 g
- Digestible Starch 1.79 g
- Resistant Starch 0.21 g
- Fibre 2.42 g
- Soluble Fibre 0.85 g
- Insoluble Fibre 1.57 g
- Protein 2.14 g
- Plant Protein 2.03 g
- Fat 0.32 g
- Saturated Fat 0.05 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.05 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.14 g
- Vitamins 116 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.06 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.08 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 0.58 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.29 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.14 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 1.4 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 28.1 µg
- Vitamin C 42 mg
- Vitamin E 0.37 mg
- Vitamin K 22.7 µg
- Minerals 401 mg
- Major Minerals 394 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.6 mg
- Salt 0.05 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.05 g
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 42 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.06 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.08 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 0.58 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.29 · vitamin-b6: 0.14 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 1.4 · vitamin-b9-folate: 28.1 · vitamin-e: 0.37 · vitamin-k: 22.7 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 20.28 · Potassium: 317 · Calcium: 57 · Iron: 1.2 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Most vegetables are high-water, low-energy, with fibre and potassium ahead of protein.
History
Mesoamerican cooks used tomatillos in sauces long before the red tomato dominated globally.
Colonial Mexican cuisine kept tomatillo salsa as a core table sauce.
Southwestern US markets stocked tomatillos for Mexican cookery.
Global salsa culture made tomatillos a standard supermarket exotic.