San Marzano tomato facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Marzano |
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San Marzano fruit
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| Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) | |
| Maturity | 85 days |
| Type | Heirloom |
| Vine | Indeterminate |
| Plant height | 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) |
| Fruit weight | 110 grams (3.9 oz) |
| Leaf | Regular leaf |
| Color | Red (pink) |
| Shape | Plum |
A San Marzano tomato is a special kind of plum tomato. It's famous for its sweet taste and is often used to make delicious sauces.
Contents
What Makes San Marzano Tomatoes Special?
Shape, Taste, and Texture
San Marzano tomatoes look a bit different from Roma tomatoes. They are usually thinner and have a more pointed shape. Inside, they have thick flesh and fewer seeds. Their taste is stronger, sweeter, and less sour than many other tomatoes.
How They Grow
San Marzano plants are called "indeterminate" vines. This means they keep growing and producing tomatoes all season long, instead of just for a short time. They need a longer growing season, which makes them great for places with warm weather.
These tomatoes are also known as heirloom plants. This means they are an open-pollinated variety. If you plant seeds from a San Marzano tomato, the new plant will grow the same kind of tomato. This makes it easy for gardeners to save seeds and grow them again next year.
Where San Marzano Tomatoes Are Used
A Famous Tomato for Food
The San Marzano tomato became very important for making canned foods in the 1900s. Its strong, sweet flavor and firm texture made it perfect for canneries. Even today, its genes are used to create new types of tomatoes.
While you can find San Marzano seeds all over the world, most of the tomatoes sold in cans come from Italy.
Special Italian Tomatoes
In Italy, San Marzano tomatoes grown in a specific area called the Valle del Sarno are very special. If they follow strict Italian rules, they can be called Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino. These tomatoes have a special EU label called "DOP" (which means "Protected Origin Name"). This label tells you that the tomatoes are truly from that special place and meet high quality standards.
Perfect for Pizza
San Marzano tomatoes are so famous that they are one of only two types of tomatoes allowed for making true Neapolitan Pizza. This shows how much people value their unique taste and quality.
Where San Marzano Tomatoes Came From
San Marzano tomatoes first grew in a small town called San Marzano sul Sarno in Italy. This town is near Naples, close to the famous volcano, Mount Vesuvius. The rich volcanic soil there helped these tomatoes grow well.
One story says that the very first San Marzano seed arrived in Italy in 1770. It was a gift from the Viceroy of Peru to the Kingdom of Naples. This seed was then planted in the San Marzano area.
San Marzano's Family Tree
In the United States, the San Marzano tomato is like the parent of another popular tomato called the Roma tomato. The Roma tomato was created in 1955 by the USDA. It's a mix of San Marzano and two other tomato types.
See also
In Spanish: Tomate San Marzano para niños
