In homes around Vesuvius, in winter, you can still see large red clusters hanging in the kitchen or under a porch. These are piennoli, and every time we see them they remind us how much Neapolitan cooking owes to Vesuvius. Let us introduce the Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio DOP.
The volcano's cherry tomato
This small tomato grows in open fields on volcanic soils, largely within the Vesuvius National Park. It has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 2009. The area covers 17 municipalities in the province of Naples, including Ercolano, Torre del Greco, Boscotrecase, Trecase, Boscoreale, Terzigno, Ottaviano, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, Somma Vesuviana and Sant'Anastasia, plus part of the territory of Nola.
The ecotypes
The product specification recognises five local ecotypes: Fiaschella, Lampadina, Patanara, Principe Borghese and Re Umberto. The fruits are small, with the characteristic point at the tip (the "pizzo"), a thick skin and firm flesh with little water. The flavour is lively and, as the tomatoes are stored, takes on a slightly bitter note.
How a piennolo is made
The tomatoes are picked by hand in summer. The bunches are then tied one by one onto a loop of plant fibre string, until they form one large cluster: the piennolo, weighing between 1 and 5 kilos. The piennoli are hung in dry, airy rooms, with no chemical treatments, and in this way the tomatoes keep for months, often until the following spring.
A little history
Growing these tomatoes on the slopes of Vesuvius is documented from the middle of the nineteenth century: agricultural texts from 1858 already describe cherry tomatoes tied in strings and stored for the winter. The tomato is sold fresh, preserved "al piennolo" or in jars.
In the kitchen
The piennolo is the tomato for quick sauces: we tasted it tossed in a pan with garlic and olive oil, just softened, over a plate of spaghetti. It is also used on pizza and with fish. We recommend buying it in winter, when storage concentrates its flavour.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Combine discovering this tomato with a climb to the crater, as we describe in Mount Vesuvius: its history, and a visit to the excavations in Herculaneum and Pompeii: what to see. For other protected vegetables from Campania, read Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP and Cipollotto Nocerino DOP; for a recipe, Spaghetti alle vongole. All the designations are in Campania's DOP and IGP products, and the province in Naples and its surroundings.
Sources: Qualigeo – Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio DOP; Product specification.
Photo at top (Ercolano): Shii, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
