What unripe fruit is used to make fried green tomatoes?

Fried green tomatoes are made from unripe green tomatoes. The firm fruit is sliced, seasoned, coated—often with coarse cornmeal—and shallow-fried until the outside is crisp and golden.

Unripe tomatoes are especially suitable because they are firmer and less juicy than ripe ones. Their sharper, more acidic flavor balances the rich fried coating. Depending on the recipe, the slices may be dipped in buttermilk or beaten egg first so the cornmeal or breadcrumbs adhere.

Although the dish is strongly associated with the American South, its history is more complicated than popular culture suggests. Food historian Robert F. Moss found early recipes in newspapers from the Northeast and Midwest between 1900 and 1911. The dish became widely identified with the South after the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes, whose setting reinforced that association.

Green tomatoes are not a variety separate from all red tomatoes; in this context, “green” generally describes tomatoes harvested before ripening. Eggplant, okra, and apples can also be fried, but none is the defining ingredient of fried green tomatoes.