San Marzano tomatoes, Il Pomodori di pelati

San Marzano tomatoes

San Marzano tomatoes, Il Pomodori di pelati

Just a few years ago it was in danger of extinction: the San Marzano tomato variety was hardly ever grown anymore. It is now experiencing a renaissance and is thriving again, also thanks to the commitment of Slow Food, on the fertile volcanic soil at the foot of Vesuvius. This special terroir and a mild climate influenced by the sea shape its own distinctive, aromatic taste, which only develops in the canning process. For us the most beautiful way to capture summer.

It has always been one of the natives of Campania, the elongated, firm tomato with few seeds and thick skin. The skin is easy to peel, the meat-juice and sugar-acid ratio is harmonious and intense. They taste almost bitter-sweet and, according to us and many other connoisseurs, make the best of all tomato sauces. In Campania, too, a canning industry developed following Cirio`s example, which successfully exported San Marzano cans worldwide.

Even though the taste and firmness were undisputed, the harvest had to and still has to be done by hand, many times between July and September. For this reason, in the 1970s the industry resorted to robust hybrid varieties that could be cared for and harvested mechanically. In addition, the variety contracted a virus during these years. The San Marzano, once the pride of Campanian farmers, fell into oblivion. It was only around 20 years later that Slow Food remembered that this tomato once existed. In the Cirio research center, old seeds from two more resistant varieties were preserved and were sown again. In 1996, San Marzano received the DOP quality award from the EU for the Agro Sarnese Nocerino region in the province of Naples. There the tomatoes grow on volcanic soil near the sea. The DOP is also tied to a consortium. Not all farmers cooperate with this association, which is why there are both DOP tomatoes and canned goods without DOP labeling.

San Marzano tomatoes, Il Pomodori di pelati