Italy: tomatoes from two centuries ago

Rome – Mr Giovannangelo Solinas is an agrarian expert who works in the Italian island Sardinia. His passion for agriculture must be a heritage from his ancestors, because Mr Solinas cultivates an ancient tomato, which was grown for the first time by his great-great-grandfather.

This tomato, which can weigh up to one kilo, has an oval form and its pulp is so thick that if you cut it in slices, they look like beefsteaks. “The ordinary tomatoes, which you can find on the market, are watery and tasteless, Solinas says, while my tomato is very perfumed and has an excellent taste.

Each year, I keep the seeds of the greatest tomatoes and I seed my field with those on the following season. Once I picked up a tomato of 1,5 kg!” An association (www.civiltacontadina.it) has recently been constituted in Sardinia, in order to defend the seeds of ancient varieties of fruit and veg, thanks to the collaboration of growers and amateurs.

Anyone interested to correspond with Mr Solinas can send him an email.

Publication date: 11-04-2006
Author: Rossella Gigli
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com