What’s happening to Italy’s golden apple? The tomato originated in Central America and was only introduced into Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish. Long thought to be poisonous, it earned its name as a Pomo d’oro on account of its decorative appeal. By the 19th century, however, its value as a delectable source of nourishment had also been proven.
The next step was process the product. In 1888 cavaliere Brandino Vignali began industrial production of tomato extract near Naples. At around the same time, techniques were developed for preserving “pelati†tomatoes grown on the slopes of Vesuvius. Hence the predominance of tomatoes in Neapolitan cuisine, especially on pizza, the city’s foremost gastronomic ambassador.
Different varieties of tomato with a wide range of size, form, flavour and consistency were cultivated throughout the peninsula up until the last decades of the 20th century. Today, of the 323 varieties traded in Italy, only 20 or so are truly Italian and have been established for over 30 years. Moreover, while plenty of local olive oils, oranges, lemons, cheeses and other farm products have received the coveted DOP and IGP labels awarded to foods typical of a specific area, so far only two tomatoes have got their act together: the small cherry tomato “Ciliegino di Pachino†from south-eastern Sicily, and the elongated San Marzano sul Sarno, cultivated near Salerno. The Cavallino Treporti, a larger salad tomato grown in the Venetian hinterland, should follow suit in the near future.
Let’s hope other tasty local varieties seek the same European recognition before it’s too late. Italian supermarkets are now importing gas-ripened tomatoes grown throughout the year in greenhouses in Holland. They look a bit like Christmas tree baubles, all bright and smooth and the same size. They’re also just about as tasty. But they have what the middlemen like: LSL, or long shelf life.
To say nothing of the Chinese tomatoes that make their insidious way onto European market stalls. China is the world’s foremost producer of tomatoes, with an annual output 5 times that of Italy. Nothing wrong with that, intrinsically. It’s just that China recognises no international norms or guidelines concerning cultivation, including the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and GMOs.
Fortunately, in Italy produce packaging requires indication of provenance. And there are signs that the country’s consumers are beginning to read before they buy. Let’s hope that the insipid Dutch tomatoes really have to put their LSL factor to the test. For months at a time.
British-born Kate Singleton has lived in Italy for over 35 years, mostly working as an editor, writer and translator.
