In praise of tomatoes

As we are reminded here, tomatoes remain a crucial, if not iconic and health-promoting, ingredient of Italian cuisine used in a variety of popular formats and recipes, but as ever subject to the weather and challenging market conditions.

CONSTANT DEMAND

Global tomato consumption is forecast to reach 51 million tons by 2026, with an estimated 80% consumed as fresh produce and 20% as processed and canned tomatoes. However, tomatoes were not always well loved and were slow to catch on in Europe and the rest of the world, as co-founder of specialist ingredients supplier, Seggiano, Peri Eagleton reminds us.

“The tomato’s first appearance in European literature was in an herbal written in 1544 by Mattioli - an Italian physician and botanist - who suggested that a new type of melanzana, or aubergine, had been brought to Italy that was red or golden when mature. However, it wasn’t until ten years later that tomatoes were named in print by Mattioli as pomo d’oro, or ‘golden apple’. The original Central American Nahuatl name, ‘tomatotl’, appeared in print 40 years later,” says Peri Eagleton.

And are they fruits or vegetables?

“Tomatoes are technically a fruit but considered a vegetable by nutritionists,” Peri Eagleton continues.

“Many people thought tomatoes were poisonous when they first appeared in Europe, and in general, they were initially grown more as ornamental plants than as food. It is possible that early varieties of the tomato contained large quantities of solanine, the ‘nightshade’ alkaloid that makes green potatoes poisonous.

“The poison fear persists up until this day, possibly inspiring the 1978 spoof horror movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, even though commercially grown tomatoes these days contain very tiny amounts of solanine, most of it replaced by much larger quantities of tomatine, a relatively benign alkaloid, which studies have shown binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract, and passes through the body without being absorbed into the bloodstream.

“In fact, it is thought that the health benefits of tomatoes are one of the drivers in the steady market increase in tomato consumption worldwide.”

HEALTH PROMOTING

Further studies have found that purified tomatine, for example, seems to stimulate the immune system in desirable ways. The fibre, potassium, vitamin C and choline content in tomatoes all support heart health. Tomatoes also contain other protective mechanisms, such as anticlotting and anti-inflammatory functions, making them a big friend of the circulatory system.

“Lycopene is the best known antioxidant polyphenol component in tomatoes; it gives tomatoes their rich red colour and is thought to have the highest antioxidant activity of all the carotenoids,” explains Peri Eagleton.

“Most of our lycopene consumption comes from tomatoes and it is abundant in cooked, tinned and processed tomatoes as well as fresh. Lycopene has been linked with cancer prevention (particularly prostate cancer) in several studies, as well as benefits for other conditions, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, suninduced skin damage and dementia.”

Tomatoes also contain all four major carotenoids - alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. These carotenoids have individual benefits, but also interact to provide health benefits as a group. Interestingly, when tomatoes are eaten along with extra virgin olive oil, the body’s absorption of these carotenoids in tomatoes can increase by two to 15 times, according to a study from Ohio State University.

TASTE

Of course, another key driver of the global love of tomatoes is their delicious sweetness.

“At Seggiano, we were surprised to discover in blind tests that a quality extra virgin oil rounded the tomato flavours and made our pasta sauces taste sweeter, compared to sauces made with generic industrial extra virgin olive oil,” reports Peri Eagleton.

“The sauce sector accounts for the largest market share and in 2018, about 12 million tons of sauces were consumed globally and the world’s obsession with Italian food must be playing a part in the emerging growth.

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Price pressures

“The situation is not really getting back to the normality because of the lack of raw material, especially the iron to produce the empty tins,” reports Philip Bull, MD, Eurostar Commodities, who supply a range of Italian tomato products to the UK market.

“Much of the iron comes from additional EU countries, and so the cost of freight does not help. On the other side, China is using a lot of iron, and also decided to implement a taxation for the exportation of its iron. For all these reasons, the prices of the empty tins has increased consistently.

“Another problem is that the factories had to order a big percentage of tins between January and March 2021 – right in the middle of the pandemic. Therefore, it was not easy for them to decide the quantity of tins to order for their catering sizes, and the likely quantity required for retail sizes. For this reason, it is felt by many that the availability of catering product will not match the demand, and that this situation is likely to last until the end of closures of restaurants in response to Covid.

“Concerning the availability of tomatoes… Until now, it seems that there will be sufficient quantity available even if - due to the extraordinary hot weather in Southern Italy of the last few weeks – right at this moment many tomatoes are getting ripe all in the same time period. Therefore, there could well be a lack in the next weeks. However, currently the situation in Southern Italy is a bit unclear because the factories are not able to process all of the tomatoes, and so in some weeks there could well be a lack of tomatoes. In northern Italy, a percentage of tomatoes were reportedly destroyed due to the hailstorms and the cold of the last weeks.”

“Tomato dishes likely found their way into Italian culture through Spanish recipes in the 18th century and in the 1800’s Naples became the birthplace of two outstanding Italian culinary icons, pizza and pasta al pomodoro.

“At Seggiano, we often sing the praises of Italian innovation in food production, but Italians are great agriculturalists, so the wildly rich and diverse agricultural terrain of Italy has also nurtured a great variety of specialist tomatoes and ways of preserving and enjoying them.”

In Campania, for example, the unique Vesuvian piennolo tomato variety is preserved over winter by hanging in aerated bunches. San Marzano tomatoes, also grown on the volcanic soil of Vesuvius, are the go-to canned tomato and a successful pizza chain uses both these provenance varieties which hits the sweet spot for consumers looking for genuine quality.

Independents and specialist shops in the UK also host an increasing variety of provenance and high quality sauces, which are ever popular in the ongoing Covid work-at-home environment, note Seggiano, with consumers having been eating at home more.

Sicily is widely regarded as the home of cherry tomatoes – namely, Pachino, datterini, grappolato - which are all enjoyed for their sweetness, or high Brix levels. The deep red of these sun ripened tomatoes are also associated with optimum lycopene antioxidant presence. Typically, these are dried or used in sauces, passatas and salsas.

Passata di pomodoro, or sieved tomato, is an essential Italian kitchen staple, historically bottled in high summer for use in the winter months. Passata is typically used as a pasta sauce base. Tomato salsa also differs from passata in that its sugars and flavours are concentrated by cooking.

“Apart from our single estate Passata - made from a Tuscan variety tomato - all Seggiano sauces are made in Sicily, but as one would expect for a good pasta sauce, the organic tomatoes are sourced from Campania,” says Peri Eagleton.

HOMEMADE TASTE

Earlier this year, Cirio – the producer of Italy’s perhaps most famous brand of tomatoes - launched a totally new range of deliciously different but authentic Italian pasta sauces.

Already loved by Italians, this was the first time such sauces became available in the UK.

Cirio Rustic Ragus are perfect for both a last-minute supper and special occasion, being made from pure rustic passata with a full-bodied texture thanks to the delicious 100% Italian tomatoes, say the brand, and in combination with the carefully selected 100% Italian meats and wine, and the delicate taste of extra virgin olive oil.

Indeed, their intense flavour is arguably reminiscent of the traditional Italian recipes that are associated with being homemade, but at the same time featuring all the Italian know-how and quality of tomato and sauce specialist, Cirio. Supplied in small glass jars, the sauces come in an authentic range of recipes including Ragu Rustico (prepared with 100% Italian beef, pork and white wine, as well as onions, celery, carrot, extra virgin olive oil and Cirio tomatoes), Ragu di Montagna (created with 100% Italian sausages and sushrooms. ‘Ragu from the Mountain’ is made with celery, onion, garlic and white wine and is the perfect winter sauce for pasta) and Pancetta del Casale (Farmhouse Pancetta is an exclusive recipe with 100% Italian pork belly, grilled peppers and mushroom that is in keeping with Campagnola cuisine, say Cirio). All the sauces – which are available in Ocado – are totally delicious, so simple and quick to use and all come with the assurance of provenance and quality ingredients. At RRP £2.00 the little glass jars are the ideal store cupboard staple.