When chefs throughout the world prepare authentic Italian sauce, San Marzano tomatoes are their preference. These thin, pointy, sweet plum tomatoes are essential ingredients for an authentic Pizza Napolitana, according to the Verace Pizza Napolitana Association in Naples, Italy.
San Marzano tomatoes are grown primarily in the Campania region of Italy, at the base of Mt Vesuvius, in the Agro-Nocerino area. They are cultivated in the soils of the communes of Naples, Salerno and Avellino.
These tomatoes require areas with good irrigation, and they will not thrive in hilly topography, or extreme temperatures. The soil in this area near Mt Vesuvius contains volcanic ash, phosphorous and potassium, and the climate is temperate with high humidity much of the year. Harvesting of these tomatoes begins in August and continues until the end of September or later. They are picked only after they have matured and are very ripe, and the hand picking occurs usually in the evenings when the sun is setting.
What is so different about San Marzano tomatoes? These tomatoes are plum tomatoes, but they are typically more slender and oblong, having a firm flesh. They have fewer seeds and less water content, as well as a lower amount of sugar and acid. This unique characteristic, along with their intense red color and skin, which peels easily, distinguishes these from other plum style tomatoes. During cooking, the skin practically dissolves, mixing with the pulp, and contributing to the unique flavor. San Marzano sauce is thicker, with a more concentrated tomato flavor, creating a distinctive combination of both sweet and tart flavors.
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