Piennolo tomatoes

Piennolo tomatoes – a specialty from Campania

A particular specialty revered by the Neapolitans is the Piennolo tomato. The tomatoes with the unusual shape, reminiscent of lemons because of the tip at the end of the flower, grow exclusively on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, where the soil is particularly fertile. The ripe fruits are a bright red color that can have shades of pink. The name Piennolo is derived from pendolo (pendulum), which is related to the hanging storage method. As Piennolo tomatoes are only grown in Campania, they are on the list of Prodotti agroalimentare tradizionale (P.A.T.), which includes traditional Italian regional products.

A bunch of Piennolo tomatoes

Piennolo tomatoes – an endangered species

One of the farmers who grows Piennolo tomatoes is Giovanni Busiello. Following an old tradition, he dries his harvest in the attic so that the tomatoes keep longer due to the loss of liquid. This ensures his livelihood even in winter. The tomatoes are hung as umbels on strands of pitch. However, these have absolutely nothing to do with the proverbial bad luck – quite the opposite. Thanks to the love of the farmers who cultivate the Pomodoro piennolo, this rare tomato variety has been saved from extinction. These rare delicacies are only grown in 18 villages around Mount Vesuvius. Passion and conviction for Piennolo tomatoes play a decisive role here, as cultivation is not economically effective. Those who preserve the rare variety are currently fighting to protect its name and origin. This would also bring financial support to Vesuvius, which would also make cultivation attractive to professional farmers.

Piennolo – small but mighty!

Piennolo tomato – the David of tomato varieties

Piennolo tomatoes trying to hold their own against varieties such as San Marzano is like a battle between David and Goliath. The rival variety is valued all over the world as a sour tomato due to its few seeds and rich flesh and is promoted due to its unique DOP status. The Piennolo tomato can “only” impress with its exceptionally sweet taste and is nowhere near as productive to grow as its elongated version. This is why it is mainly hobby farmers, especially senior citizens, who dedicate themselves to the Piennolo out of conviction. For them, taste is more important than efficiency. The low water content of this rare tomato is due to its natural ripening process and the fact that artificial irrigation is prohibited on Mount Vesuvius. So it’s no wonder that the Piennolo tomato is far superior in taste to varieties bred for yield.

A sky full of Piennolo tomatoes

Thanks to their thick skin and low water content compared to other varieties, Piennolo tomatoes stay fresh for a long time even weeks after harvesting and do not shrivel. And just as salamis dry in the attics in Tuscany, tomato umbels hang from the beams in the villages around Mount Vesuvius. The inhabitants are so passionate about their tomatoes that there is even a tomato festival at which the local priests bless the umbels and award prizes for the most beautiful ones. As with a well-aged wine, the value of the pomodori increases in the weeks following the harvest. The thick-skinned Piennolo tomatoes keep until Christmas and are then as valuable to the Vesuvians as caviar. However, it is safe to assume that they prefer their tomatoes to fish roe.
At Gustini, you can now buy a sauce alla napoletana made from the tasty Piennolo tomatoes.