Definition: Strictly speaking, the tomato is a fruit, produced by Solanum lycopersicum, a plant of the nightshade family that is also closely related to potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. However, the tomato -- like the pepper -- is savory, rather than sweet, and is therefore generally considered to be a vegetable.
When purchasing tomatoes, Italians divide them into two classes: da salsa and insalatari.
The da salsa type of tomato is, as one might expect, used to make sauces; the classic Italian sauce tomato is the San Marzano Tomato, an heirloom tomato grown on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius. Similar looking tomatoes grown elsewhere are called pomodori perini -- the plum tomato. An Italian sauce tomato is destined to the pot and should be ripe -- an explosive red, rich, and slightly sweet too.
The insalataro type of tomato is, as one might guess, a salad tomato. There are many Italian heirloom breeds of salad tomato, and while supermarkets carry generic tomatoes, if you visit a local market you may fond something more distinctive, for example the Tuscan Costoluto tomato or the Sicilian Pachino tomato, which is a cherry tomato. When selecting salad tomatoes, Italians generally select them not-too-ripe, in other words quite firm, with streaks of green running through them, and with a lively acidity that complements the flavor of the greens in the salad.
A Few Tomato Pictures:
Pomodoro a grappolo, a generic salad tomato.
Pomodoro Costoluto, a Tuscan Salad Tomato.
Pomodoro Merinda, a Sicilian salad tomato.
Pomodoro Pachino, a Sicilian cherry tomato.
Pomodoro San Marzano, a Neapolitan plum tomato.
Incidentally, the word Pomodoro means "golden orb" -- an apt name, considering the brilliant color of a ripe tomato.
When purchasing tomatoes, Italians divide them into two classes: da salsa and insalatari.
The da salsa type of tomato is, as one might expect, used to make sauces; the classic Italian sauce tomato is the San Marzano Tomato, an heirloom tomato grown on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius. Similar looking tomatoes grown elsewhere are called pomodori perini -- the plum tomato. An Italian sauce tomato is destined to the pot and should be ripe -- an explosive red, rich, and slightly sweet too.
The insalataro type of tomato is, as one might guess, a salad tomato. There are many Italian heirloom breeds of salad tomato, and while supermarkets carry generic tomatoes, if you visit a local market you may fond something more distinctive, for example the Tuscan Costoluto tomato or the Sicilian Pachino tomato, which is a cherry tomato. When selecting salad tomatoes, Italians generally select them not-too-ripe, in other words quite firm, with streaks of green running through them, and with a lively acidity that complements the flavor of the greens in the salad.
A Few Tomato Pictures:
Pomodoro a grappolo, a generic salad tomato.
Pomodoro Costoluto, a Tuscan Salad Tomato.
Pomodoro Merinda, a Sicilian salad tomato.
Pomodoro Pachino, a Sicilian cherry tomato.
Pomodoro San Marzano, a Neapolitan plum tomato.
Incidentally, the word Pomodoro means "golden orb" -- an apt name, considering the brilliant color of a ripe tomato.
Pronunciation: Pomo-doro
