''Pomodorino di Manduria'' (Little Tomato of Manduria) is an

ecotype In evolutionary ecology, an ecotype,Greek: ''οίκος'' = home and ''τύπος'' = type, coined by Göte Turesson in 1922 sometimes called ecospecies, describes a genetically distinct geographic variety, population, or race within a species, ...

of tomato typical of

Manduria Manduria is a city and '' comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Taranto. With c. 32,000 inhabitants (2013), it is located east of Taranto. History It was an important stronghold of the Messapii against Taras. Archidamus III, king ...

, a city in the

province of Taranto The province of Taranto ( it, provincia di Taranto; Tarantino: ; Salentino: ), previously known as the province of the Ionian, is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto. It has an area of , and a total popul ...

. In the

local dialect Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administra ...

, it is also called ''Pummitoru paisanu''.

Origins

Tomatoes are used in many Apulian traditional dishes like friselle or some typical recipe with pasta, meat and fish. The region hosts at least four traditional varieties of tomato.

Characteristics

These tomatoes are cultivated in little plots of land (1/2 - 2 hectares). They are sown in March and harvested from the second half of June to the first days of September. This ecotype does not need any trimming or pruning operation. The fruit weight is between 10 and 25 grams. From some researches, it has been discovered that this ecotype is very resistant to the

Tomato spotted wilt virus Transmission and lifespan TSWV, which is transmitted by thrips, causes serious losses in economically important crops and it is one of the most economically devastating plant viruses in the world. The circulative propagative transmission of T ...

(TSWV) and with a graft that this tolerance is also transmitted to other varieties. This table is about dried tomatoes in oil (for 100 grams).

Geography

Pomodorino di Manduria is grown in

and Maruggio and, to a lesser extent, also in

Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...

, Avetrana and Lizzano. These cities and villages are located in deep loamy territories called ''Terre ti patuli''. Near the

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...

in the areas of San Pietro in Bevagna and

Campomarino Campomarino ( Arbërisht: ''Këmarini'') is an Arbëreshë ''comune'' in the Province of Campobasso, in the Italian region Molise, located about northeast of Campobasso, and about southeast of Termoli. The Campomarino comune includes the seasid ...

, the tomatoes are cultivated without the need for irrigation, while in the inland called "''Terre rosse'', two-three irrigation operations are needed in June.

Cuisine

Tomatoes are eaten fresh during summer with friselle or in salads with the barattiere di Manduria. Another use is for the production of the homemade tomato sauce or for making the dried tomatoes in oil. The main typical recipe is the "Jatedda", a salad with fresh tomatoes, garlic, "Terra d'Otranto" extra-virgin olive oil, salt, capers and oregano; usually it is served with slices of homemade dry bread.

Designation of origin

The Italian

Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, it, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali, italic=no or MiPAAF, is an Italian government department. It was formed in 1946 as the Ministero dell'Agricoltura e delle F ...

has recognised Pomodorino di Manduria as Traditional Food Product (''Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale'' PAT) of Apulia.

References