TOMATO PIENNOLO DEL VESUVIO D.O.P.

The Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio D.O.P. (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the most typical and ancient products of Campania agriculture, so much so that it is even represented in the scene of the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene.

It benefits from the volcanic soil and the generous sun: it is said that even its "burning" color is the work of the volcano, since according to legend, its roots feed on the lava itself of Vesuvius.

The Piennolo del Vesuvio Cherry Tomato is grown using a traditional method, which involves the use of supports with wooden stakes and iron wire, which prevent the berries from touching the ground and ensure that they receive the sun's rays uniformly. The tomatoes, weighing about 25-30 grams, are round and have a small lace at the lower end. The skin is leathery and the pulp, firm and compact, has a characteristic sweet taste with a sour aftertaste, due to the particular concentration of sugars and mineral salts.

This variety is also called "del Piennolo", because the traditional conservation technique requires that "Piennoli" are formed, that is pendulums: whole bunches, collected between July and August, arranged on a hemp thread tied in a circle, to compose a single large bunch, stored suspended in dry and ventilated places. This system promotes slow maturation and allows for "fresh red gold" until the spring following the year of cultivation.

Over the months the Pomodorino, while losing its turgor, takes on a unique and delicious flavor, becoming an essential ingredient of many typical Neapolitan dishes: it gives an unmistakable touch to pizza, bruschetta, spaghetti, sauces, gravies based fish and a thousand other recipes.

The Vesuvius Piennolo Tomato is appreciated on the market both fresh and in the typical preserved form "al Piennolo", or even as a preserves in glass, according to an ancient family recipe of the area, called "Pacchetella". The typical area of ​​production and conservation of the Piennolo Tomato coincides with the territory of the Vesuvius National Park.

The Cherry Tomato is rich in Vitamin A and C, whose anticarcinogenic effects have long been known, mineral salts such as Calcium, Phosphorus and Potassium, essential for the correct functioning of the heart and muscles, and Lycopene, which it exerts in the body an antioxidant action, stimulating the production of enzymes that block the carcinogenic action of free radicals.