By Michelle Fabio

In response to SUN Gene Gives Tomato Its Shape, Tomato Casual reader Esther Montgomery of Esther in the Garden wrote:

“About long / round tomatoes - Elongated varieties never seem to rise to the same quality of flavour as round ones. Are you able to explain this?”

This is a very interesting question, Esther, and I have to admit that I don’t know whether there is any scientific answer; I will, however, put forth my first reaction:

Quality and flavor Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

If you want to impress someone (including yourself) with the best pasta sauce, San Marzano tomatoes are the way to go.

They are a type of plum tomato that grow in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius in the region of Campania, Italy and benefit from the rich, fertile volcanic soil. They are generally thinner and pointier than the Roma tomato, and have a stronger, less sweet, less acidic taste.
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