Fruits are undoubtedly man's oldest food and must have always been a source of pleasure for him because of their flavour and taste. Their history is perhaps as old as that of Adam, Eve and the forbidden apple. It is stated in the Bible that an apple tree grew in the Garden of Eden and its fruit symbolised knowledge that mankind was not supposed to acquire. Evil came to the world when Eve and Adam ate the forbidden apple. In addition, the Bible says that Adam and Eve used the leaves of fig, growing in the Garden of Eden, for clothing themselves after they had committed sin by eating the forbidden apple.

In pre-agricultural days, our early ancestors lived on wild game, fruits and succulent herbage. Most of our common fruits have their origin in the parts of the world that were inhabited by the early man. When men took to organised agriculture, they mainly cultivated grain crops and grew some fruit trees in their backyard. It is possible that some fruit plants might have been cultivated even before the cereals and that grape vines, dates and figs were among them. Archaeological findings (desiccated faeces) give definite clues about the primitive diet and the gradual change that occurred with the domestication of plants.The backbone of Mesopotamian agriculture consisted of crop plants that are still important to the world's food supply; wheat and barley, dates and figs, and olive and grapes. In the New World, man had brought under cultivation practically all the indigenous food plants we now use such as maize, potato, tomato, squash, pumpkins, groundnuts, kidney and lima beans, cranberry, avocado, Brazil nut, cashew nut, black walnut, pecan, pineapple, cacao, vanilla, etc. No important fruit plants were common to both hemispheres, the coconut and certain gourds perhaps being exceptions.

Cultivation of fruits (pomology) is now a highly profitable enterprise. There is a growing realisation amongst people that fruits should no longer be considered a luxury, but a necessity. Like vegetables, they are classed as protective foods', essential for the maintenance of health (see Box 7.1). They are considered to promote health and prevent diseases. Dietitians or nutrition experts everywhere recommend the consumption of at least 5-7 g of fruits in our daily diet in addition to cereals, pulses, milk and vegetables.