Piennolo del Vesuvio D.O.P.
The Tomatoes of Piennolo del Vesuvio D.O.P. it 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 generous sun and volcanic terrain: it is said that its color "ardent" is the work of the volcano, because according to legend, its roots feed on the lava of Vesuvius.
The Piennolo del Vesuvio Pomodorino is grown with a traditional method, which uses supports with wooden pole and wire, which prevent the berries from touching the ground and ensure that they receive evenly the sun's rays. The tomatoes, weighing about 25-30 grams, are round and have a small lace at the lower end. The peel is tough and the pulp, dense and compact, has a characteristic sweet taste with a sour aftertaste, due to the particular concentration of sugars and minerals.
This variety is also called "del Piennolo", because the traditional preservation technique requires the formation of "Piennoli", that is pendulums: whole bunches, harvested between July and August, arranged on a string of hemp tied in a circle, to compose a only large bunch, kept suspended in dry and ventilated places. This system favors a slow maturation and allows to have"Fresh red gold"until the spring of the next year of cultivation.
Over the course of the months the Pomodorino, although losing its turgidity, takes on a unique and delicious flavor, becoming an essential ingredient of many typical Neapolitan dishes: it gives an unmistakable touch to pizza, to bruschettas, to spaghetti, sauces, to gravies based of fish and a thousand other recipes.
The tomatoes of Piennolo del Vesuvio it is appreciated on the market both in its fresh state and in the typical preserved form "al Piennolo", or even as a glass preserve, according to an ancient family recipe of the area, called "Pacchetella".
The tomatoes is rich in Vitamin A and C, which have been known for some time the anticancer effects, of mineral salts such as Calcium, Phosphorus and Potassium, essential for the proper functioning of the heart and muscles, and of Lycopene, which it exerts in the organism an antioxidant action, stimulating the production of enzymes that block the carcinogenic action of free radicals.
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