San Marzano – Portrait of a tomato variety

The story

As the name suggests, there is a connection between the San Marzano tomato and the town of the same name in Campania.

Legend has it that the first plants came to Europe in 1770 as a gift from the King of Peru to the King of Naples and were planted in the fertile soil around Mount Vesuvius.

Industrial cultivation of the San Marzano tomato began around 1926 and the variety is ideal for canned tomatoes, as it develops a special depth of flavor when preserved.

In the 1980s, diseases increasingly appeared in the San Marzano fields on Vesuvius. The farmers planted tomato varieties that were more resistant to this and were also easier to harvest and process mechanically.

In 1991, San Marzano was officially removed from the variety catalog and fell into oblivion.

Saved from extinction

The Campania region commissioned research in 1995-1997 to preserve the genetic heritage of the San Marzano.

And indeed, shortly before the turn of the millennium, new plants slowly returned to the fields of Campania. In 1996 they were granted DOP status and in 1999 a consortium was set up to protect them.

The Slow Food movement also placed San Marzano on the index of varieties worthy of protection, thereby increasing worldwide interest in the tomato variety.

Protected designation of origin

Today, the San Marzano is considered the queen of tomatoes. The aforementioned Consortium monitors the authenticity of the San Marzano tomatoes that are sold.

The protected designation of origin (DOP) “Pomodoro San Marzano dell Agro Sarnese Nocerino DOP” (San Marzano tomato from the Sarnese-Nocerino region) is only reserved for tomatoes that meet strict requirements. For example, they must grow in the Agro Nocerino Sarnese region around San Marzano in Campania. They may only be harvested when fully ripe and only by hand.

For comparison: the tomatoes you can buy in the supermarket no longer grow in soil but in nutrient solutions. They have a thick skin and are harvested unripe. This is the only way the fruit can survive long transportation and storage times.

What San Marzano varieties are there?

These seeds have preserved part of the genetic heritage of the original variety

• KIROS or Cirio Selection 3: used in Italian agriculture
• San Marzano 2: produces the highest yield
• 20 SMEC 3
  
  

If you want to grow San Marzano tomatoes yourself, read on here!

In the kitchen, the San Marzano tomato feels most at home as a sauce on a pizza!