#191 Tomatoes of the world
What's your favorite tomato?
Tomatoes are beautiful. When they’re perfectly ripe, they’re such a joy to have. The wonderful thing about tomatoes is just how versatile they are. You can have them spread on some morning bruschetta, make a hearty lasagna, a light summer salad or even a beautiful Turkish İskender kebap.
So I thought, what better way to celebrate the beauty of the tomato than to show you some of the most popular varieties in the world!
Of course, this doesn't cover EVERY tomato in the world (there are thousands of varieties out there), let us know if we missed a favorite of yours 🫶
San Marzano
Some would say they’re the most famous tomatoes in the world. But did you know that there are more fake San Marzanos sold worldwide than real ones by a wide margin? Real ones grow only in volcanic soil around Mount Vesuvius and carry DOP protection (as they should).
Pachino
Sicilian farmers say the salty sea breeze from the coast is what makes them taste so sweet.
Cuore di Bue
The name means “oxheart” in Italian. Old-school Italian grandmothers grow these specifically for the tomato tart on Ferragosto (marks the PEAK of Italian summer) that’s on August 15th.
Datterino
The name literally means “little date” because of the shape. They’re one of the best tomatoes to snack on (in the dozens).
Costoluto Fiorentino
Grown in Tuscany since the 1800s. The deep ribbing was actually considered a defect by modern breeders but Italians kept the variety alive because they liked the look! They remind me a lot of how tomatoes looked like in cartoons when we were kids.
Marmande
Named after the town of Marmande in southwest France where tomatoes have been grown commercially since the 1600s. There’s a mid-August festival there every year called Fête de la Tomate that draws thousands.
Santorini
Grows with no irrigation at all. The plants survive on morning fog from the sea and volcanic ash retaining what little moisture there is. This drought stress is what concentrates the flavor.
Sun Gold
One of the most popular tomatoes. Bred by Tokita Seed Company in Japan and consistently ranks as the sweetest tomato variety ever grow! Some say it’s as sweet as ripe watermelon.
Momotaro
The name means “Peach Boy” after the famous Japanese folk hero. It’s the number one tomato sold in Japan and rarely exported.
Campari
The Netherlands grows most of the world’s supply in high-tech greenhouses that run 24/7.
Kumato
Developed through conventional breeding, never GMO! The brown-green color that looks unripe is actually its ripe state.
Raf
RAF stands for Resistente al Fusarium (“Resistant to Fusarium”). Bred in Almería in the 1960s for salt-heavy soil that would kill other tomatoes, which is why they have a subtle mineral saltiness in the flavor.
Roma
Released by USDA in 1955 specifically for canning. One of the most widely grown processing tomatoes on the planet.
Beefsteak
One of the thiccest tomatoes in the world. Individual fruits regularly weigh over 1 lb, with some exceeding 2 lb
Brandywine
Amish heirloom tomato from the 1880s that almost went extinct in the 1980s. Widely considered the best-tasting tomato in the world.
Black Cherry
Bred by Vince Sapp in the 1990s. The only truly dark-purple cherry tomato in commercial production!
Green Zebra
Bred by Tom Wagner in 1983 to prove that green tomatoes could taste amazing (I’m still not sure I’m convinced!!)
What’s your favorite way to enjoy a good summer tomato?
Summer is for joy-maxxing
They say money can't buy happiness but food surely can. Food that nourishes you deeply. Food that leaves you feeling good after. And a little sweet treat or two in between because you deserve it. Summer is for joy-maxxing.
How blessed are we that ice cream exits
Thinking about ice cream. Thinking about espresso. Thinking about affogato.
❋ A Caramelized Banana Split by Jillian
“For the days when you’re feeling particularly ambitious, here is a recipe to make a banana split from scratch - everything from the ice cream to the fudge to the strawberry sauce.” — Jillian
❋ Summer Favorites by Bella
“I’m interrupting the regular flow of recipes to tell you about Everything I’m Loving Right Now™. What’s life if you don’t stop and notice maybe you’re actually happy and take note of all the things that are making it so. These are a few of those things, or at least the more tangible ones I can recommend to you. I’d love to hear what’s really doing it for you these days, so don’t be shy in the comments.” — Bella
❋ Painting Dandelion, The Gifts of Dandelion by Molly Reeder
“Dandelion is probably one of the most detoxifying plants on the planet. A mover and bile-promoter/gastrointestinal tonic, leaves, root and flowers—the whole plant has a variety of medicine to offer our bodies. The leaves are beautiful for any kidney or bladder issues, with a mild diuretic effect. The root is incredible at cleansing the liver and gallbladder, and offers some good grounding energy, while the flowers are great for topical applications on the skin like blemishes or rashes. A super nutritive and tonic being full of vitamins and minerals that make our bodies feel incredibly nourished.” — Molly Reeder
❋ Pan Con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)
“If you gave me the choice between a recipe with 18 ingredients or one with just a few simple, quality ingredients, I’d choose plates like this Pan con Tomate every 👏 single 👏 time 👏. The smell and taste of the charred bread takes me right back to my childhood in Europe. My Bapche 👵🏼 would add a drizzle of good olive oil to a slice of bread and toast it over the flame of her wood burning stove. Then, she would top it with grated tomato & garlic, a pinch of salt, and a few leaves of basil or oregano (whichever she had on hand). And you? You’re just 5 ingredients, 10 minutes, and one plate grater away from a truly delicious moment 🍅🥖.”
❋ Honey Thyme Gruyère Baked in Puff Pastry
“Who doesn’t like melted cheese and pastry? Just the thought of this recipe for Honey Thyme Gruyère Baked in Puff Pastry makes my mouth water! It’s one of those recipes that looks difficult but takes only a few minutes to put together and that makes it very dangerous considering that you could potentially make this and eat it all yourself! It’s really that good!
Cubes of Gruyère Cheese are sprinkled with thyme and drizzled with hot honey (I used Mike’s) and baked in a nest of puff pastry! It comes out of the oven looking like the best ooey gooey bread ever and it might just be! I served this pan of deliciousness hot out of the oven with Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly. A simple green salad with pears, dried cranberries, walnuts and a little sautèed pancetta seemed a perfect accompaniment! A little slice of Gruyère puff pastry alongside a serving of salad is such a delicious lunch, with, of course, a glass of Rosé! This is a recipe to serve all year long!”
❋ Save a Bowl, Use a Melon by Ella Henry [Paid Post]
“Today we’re highlighting four of the most popular & favorite melons: cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew & sugar plum (which is like a baby variety of cantaloupe). I’ve been trying out a ton more melons this year, there’s so many I haven’t even heard of. If you see any you are curious about, try them!!!! & you can even swap out those for the melons I use if the shoe fits, but I wanted to create my main recipes with melons that are most easily accessible. BTW—If you see a yellow watermelon, gettttt itttttt. It’s my new obsession.
OK before we get into it lets to do a little crash course on picking a good melon, because there’s nothing worse than picking up a watermelon at the market, being soooooo excited about it, and then cutting it open only to reveal that it’s overripe, grainy, mushy and flavorless. Devastating. So let’s try to avoid that the best we can and pick melons that are juicy & sweeeet.” — Ella Henry
❋ Basil Peach Heirloom Tomato Jam
“I’m about to be that person that convinces you to jam something this summer. Or in this case, put all those garden tomatoes and the last of this season’s peaches to very good use.
An unconventional combo I know, but hear me out. This tomato jam is SHOCKINGLY good.
And no, it’s NOT a pain in the butt to make. I think a lot of people hear the words “homemade jam” and picture spending the whole day in a hot kitchen prepping fruit and standing over a hot stove.”
Rebuild your IG Algorithm (more fun links):
❋ The era of the skinny wedding suit is over
❋ Thomas Keller’s roast chicken
❋ Apartment tour of a no big lights person
❋ Why are there almost no beach scenes before the 19th century?
❋ Repeat after me: functional decor
Have an amazing week!
— Rocky
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❋ Winter 25/26 Coffee Table Book (Print)
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