If you watch chefs on TV lately, just about any time they use canned tomatoes, they seem to be using San Marzano tomatoes. This is a region on Italy that produces plum tomatoes. They’re more and more available at your local grocery store.
I’d been told to watch out for imitations that state ‘San Marzano Region’ or ‘San Marzano Style’. This means they’re not really from San Marzano, but trying to cash in on the name.
I had wondered if this is all hype or if these are really the best tomatoes in the world or not, so my wife and I did a bit of a taste test. I got three cans of tomatoes: one was certified San Marzano (La Valle), one was San Marzano Region (Belle Terra) and the last was from California, and just marked ‘Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes’ with no San Marzano claim.
I chopped one tomato from each can in small ramekins and put a post-it note marked with A, B or C on the bottom. A was the California tomatoes, B was the San Marzano Region and C was the San Marzano tomato. The ramekins went on a tray, and I had my wife try them without looking at the letter under the dishes. She told me her results, and I asked her to do the ol’ shell game to rearrange them for me. I then tasted them and told her my results.
Yeah, I know this is anecdotal, and a small sampling, but we did both have the same results. And they were:
- B – San Marzano Region Tomatoes
- A – California Plum Tomatoes
- C – Actual San Marzano Tomatoes
So, I have to wonder a couple of things. Are our results due to the samplings we had (maybe the cans weren’t good examples of the tomatoes)? Or are the TV chefs paid by the San Marzano import companies to pump up their sales? I don’t know, and I’m certainly not accusing anyone of anything, but my conclusion is that plum tomatoes are plum tomatoes for the most part. The San Marzano tomatoes were clearly our last place tomatoes in this test.
Maybe I just need to try it again, with a different brand. But until then, I’m not going to jump on the San Marzano boat.
Ah, but perhaps San Marzano is the equivalent of Angus beef, i.e. some raised better than others, some different “breed blends” or varietals, and even then, some taste better to you vs. other people
I’ve never used canned San Marzanos, but I can say they are great fresh off the vine and even better slow roasted with garlic and herbs.
Carrie, I’m not denying that, but I’ve heard several chefs online say not to accept anything but San Marzano tomatoes, that they’re clearly the best, and we proved, at least to us, that this may not really be so. Unlike beef, we know they’re all the same tomato type, all within the same region, etc., though farm practices could change between farms.
Andrea,
Were they San Marzano (meaning grown in San Marzano), or plum tomatoes? That’s my point here… Plum tomatoes that are grown in San Marzano are reputed to be the best, but it didn’t necessarily prove to be so today.
I’d try some other brands. I use San Marzanos in my pomodoro sauce (among other things), and they have qualities that are distinct from other types of plum tomatoes. They have less seeds and are a denser, longer shape of tomato, being a better “paste” tomato. It’s probably worth cooking them, also, to see how the San Marzanos cook rather than just tasting the canned ones. They produce a thicker, less watery sauce.
Haley, that’s a good point. However, all three of these seemed very similar in seeds, consistency, etc. In particular, the ‘region’ vs. the actual San Marzano tomatoes.
I’m going to continue looking into them, but I’m just not convinced yet, especially considering the substantial price increase.
I have cooked with various plum tomatoes from all over, really. I tend to choose San Marzanos only when I want to cook with whole, canned tomatoes. I go for them when I want chunkier, meatier tomatoes. If I’m looking for crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, etc. I will just pick up whatever – I tend to season those more and care less for texture.
Haley,
When I was looking for tomatoes to compare, I found there’s a big difference in what’s canned. I had trouble finding plum tomatoes that were whole, but it was easy to find crushed or diced tomatoes that didn’t specify the type. Have you tried cooking whole, canned plum tomatoes that were either San Marzano style or just plum tomatoes?
i think that will be my next test. And I’ll pay more attention to the amount of seeds in the different tomatoes.
I think this is an interesting test, but like most things that make tests like this very suspect is that personal taste of one has no relationship to another’s choices. I was raised in an Italian household and I currently live 6 months a year in Italy, so to make my sauces with anything other than San Marzano tomatoes has been and would continue to be unacceptable. That, however, doesn’t mean I am right or wrong by someone else’s tastes and standards. Like wine, what you enjoy you should drink whether it is a fine Brunello or a bottle of MD 2020. For me, tests like this and many others simply help us narrow our own tasting choices…..once you try the one you like, stick with it and enjoy.
RZ
Zaccardi,
I never said this was scientific. It also is influenced by the brands; different brands may be much better. It just showed us that San Marzano on the label didn’t automatically mean the tomatoes were better.
San Marzano tomatoes really shine when cooked. I think they actually taste worse when raw then most tomatoes, having too strong of a tang. But once they are cooked, the sharpness mellows out and they are more flavorful and full-bodied than most other kinds.
I don’t believe you bought San Marzano tomatoes. All true San Marzano tomatoes that are shipped from Italy have the three D.O.P. symbols. The only brand I can find in my area is Cento, but I’m sure there must be more importers. Here is a link to the D.O.P. symbols.
Scott,
I plan on doing the same sort of test with cooked tomatoes, too, then see if the same holds true. The whole terroir thing makes sense to me; I just didn’t see it in the canned tomatoes.
Tim,
I got some of the tomatoes at an import store in Pittsburgh, and the DOP symbols were there. I can also get them local with the symbols on them to make them official, too.
“You can’t make great sauce from bad tomatoes.” My take on this is…San Marzano is the best variety of plum tomato for making sauce period. Where you plant and grow the seeds is a key factor in the quality of producing a great tomato. So is it necesary to plant and grow San Marzano Tomatoes in the Sarno Valley of Italy & place a DOP stamp on it……. not necessarily. The Sarno Valley is the best overall region with climate & soil but here is only so much area to plant and produce tomatoes. There are other great growing areas in Italy and like a fine wine certain growing seasons vary region to region. So one year same can same region different result. Open a can, dish out a tomato taste it right out of the can. Good overall taste equals good tomato and if it turns out a great sauce equals a great tomato.