The San Marzano tomato (Pomodoro San Marzano) is a variety grown in Campania. Only tomatoes from the Agro Nocerino and the Sarno Valley can earn the PDO designation.
Naturally, the authenticity of the product is guaranteed by its Protection Consortium. But the story of this tomato, found only in certain parts of Campania, is far more intriguing and fascinating.
According to some historical accounts, the first cultivation of San Marzano tomatoes dates back to 1770. That year, the Viceroy of Peru, travelling in Campania, presented some seeds to the King of the Kingdom of Naples.
They were planted in one of the most fertile parts of the Naples area, which today corresponds to San Marzano sul Sarno. The volcanic soil then helped give rise to this special and unique type of tomato.
San Marzano Tomatoes: Characteristics
You can recognise a San Marzano tomato among a thousand other varieties. It is the only one with that characteristic elongated shape. Almost all the others are round and vary in size.
This Campanian speciality, for its part, can come in any size, from small to large. The typical colour of this variety is red, and it is also distinguished by the absence of a stalk and by its staggered ripening.
Before it is fully ripe, the tomato changes colour, from greenish-yellow to bright red. A genuine San Marzano PDO tomato is between 60 and 80 mm long.
With its firm, fleshy pulp, it is used mainly to make passata, peeled tomatoes and preserves.
It cooks much faster than other types of tomato, and it gives its best in a sauce, where it keeps all of its flavour perfectly intact.
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Nutritional Values
The San Marzano tomato is an essential ingredient of the much-loved Mediterranean Diet. It is an irreplaceable food, used above all in summer. Rich in protein, it is a food recommended for daily consumption.
For 100 g of tomatoes, the calorie content is extremely low: just 17 kcal.
This energy value comes from:
63.53% carbohydrates;
25.88% protein;
10.59% fat.
Production Area:
As mentioned above, to earn the PDO designation the San Marzano tomato must be grown exclusively in the Agro Nocerino Sarnese or in the Sarno Valley.
The one exception is the municipality of Montoro, in the province of Avellino.
The other production areas all lie within the provinces of Salerno and Naples. The most important include:
San Marzano sul Sarno (SA); San Valentino Torio (SA); Scafati (SA); Baronissi (SA); Fisciano (SA); Mercato San Severino (SA); Castel San Giorgio (SA); Siano (SA); Roccapiemonte (SA); Nocera Inferiore (SA); Nocera Superiore (SA); Sarno (SA); Pagani (SA); Sant’Egidio del Monte Albino; Angri (SA); Striano (NA); Poggiomarino (NA); Pompei (NA); Sant’Antonio Abate (NA); Castello di Cisterna (NA); Santa Maria la Carità (NA); Boscoreale (NA);
Plus another 11 municipalities in the Naples area where it is grown in only part of the municipal territory.
