Labels

Saturday, March 28, 2015

San Marzano Tomatoes - the real deal.

In stock now at Forsyth



Not all tomatoes are the same.  Be careful when you buy "San Marzano" tomatoes, you might not be getting San Marzano tomatoes.

Look for cans that have the "DOP" designation.  If it does not have this on the can, you are not getting San Marzano Tomoatoes!

What are DOP tomatoes? 
DOP  "Denominazione d' Origine Protetta"
According to Wikipedia, the purpose of the DOP mark (or Protected Designation of Origin [PDO] in English) "is to protect the reputation of the regional foods and eliminate the unfair competition and misleading of consumers by non-genuine products, which may be of inferior quality or of different flavor."

Why bother? Imagine you're a tomato producer (or wine- or cheese-maker): There's a significant economic benefit in trumpeting the unique qualities and flavors of your product — and therefore in protecting the very notion of what defines that product.

In the case of DOP tomatoes, the regulations that define them designate, among others:

  • What strain of tomato they are
  • Where in Italy they can be grown
  • How they are to be grown
  • The size, shape, and color when harvested
  • That they be harvested by hand
  • That they are peeled when packed

No comments: