Tomato paste facts for kids

Tomato paste is a thick paste made from tomatoes.

Tomato paste is a very thick paste made from tomatoes. To make it, tomatoes are cooked for many hours to remove most of their water. Then, the seeds and skins are taken out. The liquid is cooked again until it becomes a rich, thick paste. It gives a strong tomato flavor to many foods, like pasta, soups, and braised meats. It is used a lot in Italian cooking.

Tomato paste is thicker than tomato purée, which is a thinner liquid. Tomato sauce is even thinner than purée.

How Tomato Paste is Made

Tomato paste has been made for a long time in parts of Sicily, southern Italy, and Malta. People traditionally spread a very thick tomato sauce on wooden boards. These boards were left outside under the hot August sun to dry. The paste would get so thick that it could be scraped up and formed into a dark, rich ball. Today, this handmade paste is harder to find than the kind made in factories.

Tomato paste started to be sold in stores in the early 1900s.

Different Names and Uses Around the World

In the United Kingdom, people often call tomato paste "concentrate."

In the United States, tomato paste is just concentrated tomato without seeds or skin. Sometimes, a little sweetener is added.

In Europe, people often like tomato paste with salt. But in some Middle Eastern countries, like Israel, they prefer it with sugar.

In a place called Saint Helena, tomato paste is eaten in sandwiches. These sandwiches are known as "Bread 'n Dance" because they were often served at dances.

In Turkey, tomato paste is called domates salçası. It is a type of salça, which is a general term for thick pastes.

What Tomato Paste is Used For

Tomato paste is added to dishes to give them a strong, deep flavor. This flavor is called umami, which is a savory taste found naturally in tomatoes.

You can find tomato paste in many dishes. Some common examples include pasta sauces, soups, and slow-cooked meats. Cooks often add the paste early in the cooking process. They might sauté it a bit to make its flavor even richer.

See also

In Spanish: Pasta de tomate para niños