TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- San Marzano tomatoes come from a specific region in Italy and have a Protected Designation of Origin, ensuring authenticity.
- These tomatoes thrive in volcanic soil near Mount Vesuvius, contributing to their unique taste.
- Growing San Marzano tomatoes is possible anywhere, but those from Italy are typically sweeter and more flavorful.
- Taste tests reveal Americans often prefer San Marzano-style tomatoes that are less sweet and saltier than traditional ones.
- If you’re curious, try San Marzano tomatoes in simple recipes to experience their flavor.
What are San Marzano tomatoes?
San Marzano tomatoes are a type of plum tomato grown just about all over the world. Italy, the U.S., Central and South America, and so on. Basically, they’re ubiquitous. But here’s the complicated part: San Marzano takes its name from San Marzano sul Sarno, a town in Campania, Italy, where the tomato has a long history. And that’s why you and I can buy packets of “San Marzano” tomato seeds and grow them in the backyard: San Marzano is also the name of the tomato variety.
Now, the San Marzano tomatoes everyone’s lusting after—Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP—are the DOP-certified, protected fruit grown only in a teeny area of volcanic soils near Mount Vesuvius in Italy.
How teeny, you ask? The world’s certified DOP San Marzano crop grows on roughly 800 acres inside an eligible zone of about 40,000 acres. We’re talking an area the size of Central Park in a zone nearly as big as the borough of Brooklyn. If my math is mathing, only 2% of the eligible land is actually planted to DOP San Marzano.
And the reasons everyone’s falling over themselves to get (and then hoard) them are their gorgeously sweet-tart flavor, meaty flesh, and very few seeds.
What’s in a name?
Here’s where things get shifty.
A can of tomatoes can say “San Marzano” in a big, impressive font and still not contain Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP. It might contain perfectly legitimate San Marzano tomatoes grown somewhere else, even in other parts of Italy. That isn’t fraud… but it is deceptive. But slap enough Italian flags, Vesuviuses, and artfully placed words on the label, and it can be awfully easy to assume you’re buying the protected Italian tomatoes when you’re not.
So if you want the real deal, ignore the smoke and mirrors on the front of the can and turn it around. Look for 1.) the full name Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP, 2.) the official EU DOP symbol, 3.) the San Marzano/Consorzio mark (above), and 4.) an individual certification number. Those are the tells.
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And ditch that old rule: Authentic certified DOP San Marzanos don’t have to come only in cans. They can also be packed in glass jars, whole or filleted. The package isn’t what makes them genuine. The certification is.
Note from David Leite
I recently returned from leading my weeklong culinary workshop, A Cook’s Tour of Florence, where I guided a group of avid home cooks through the food scene of Tuscany. We studied with three different local cooking teachers, and despite their different styles, they all agreed on one thing: for an authentic Italian taste, you must use San Marzano tomatoes. They insisted that the balance of sweetness and acidity is unrivaled. And, well, when three Italian chefs agree on an ingredient, I listen.
What’s so special about San Marzano tomatoes?
What makes them especially useful in the kitchen is their dense flesh, scant seeds, and balanced sweet-tart flavor. They break down beautifully into sauce without turning watery, which is why they’re so prized for pizza and simple tomato sauces.
Can I grow my own San Marzano tomatoes?
Technically, anyone can grow San Marzanos nearly anywhere in the world. And they’ll still be good. San Marzanos grown stateside are incredibly delicious; they’re just a little tangier and less richly sweet than the ones grown at the base of Mount Vesuvius.
Which brand should I buy?
Search San Marzano online or mention them to a few of your food-wise friends, and you’ll quickly get an idea of the divisiveness surrounding the topic. Celeb chef Alton Brown has been outspoken in his fevered infatuation with the canned lovelies, while others will tell you that they’re not worth the hype. There are dozens of taste tests you can read about online to help you find a brand that will get you the exact shade of sweet tomatoey goodness that you deserve.
The New York Times published their taste test findings based on “color, flavor, sweetness, acidity, overall appearance and texture,” and challenged the notion of “the San Marzano tomato, grown in Italy, as the ideal.” They included several San Marzano-style tomatoes and even San Marzano tomatoes grown stateside. And, according to the New York Times, the results surprised even them.
These brands, all available in the States, carry the DOP designation on the label. Check the back of any can for the EU seal, the consortium’s seal, and a certification number.
- Gustarosso Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino D.O.P.
- Pastene San Marzano Tomato of Agro Sarnese-Nocerino Area D.O.P.
- La Valle Pomodoro S. Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino D.O.P.
- Nolano Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP
- L’Oro Del Sud San Marzano Tomato of Agro Sarnese-Nocerino Area
Americans’ pomodoro preference
So where does this leave you? It would seem that the American palate prefers San Marzano tomatoes that aren’t grown in San Marzano. In general, we prefer tomatoes that are less sweet and have a brighter, tangier taste. The other thing Americans want? Salt. Salted tomatoes consistently score higher than unsalted.
But if all the other kids jumped off a cliff, would you? Go with what works for you. If you’ve always been curious about those fancy cans of Italian lovelies, it might be time for you to finally try them. Preferably in the simplest incarnations, you can imagine, whether an incredible spicy tomato soup, a traditional Bolognese sauce, or an easy pizza sauce. Let us know what you think.
Learn more about San Marzano tomatoes
We went down this rabbit hole so you wouldn’t have to. But if you want to join us (and I’ve got a niggling suspicion a few of you do), here’s where to start.
Gustiamo’s 2011 post is where the “95 percent of American San Marzanos are fake” line was born, and it’s worth reading to see how thin the number really is. The Consorzio’s president said 1 percent. Then he heard it was going into print and hedged up to 5.
The Consorzio di Tutela is the organization that oversees all of this. Their site walks through the approved types, the towns the tomatoes are allowed to come from, and the rules growers have to follow, such as the fact that plants must be tied vertically and the fruit must, must be picked by hand.
The production spec itself is online, and if you really want to geek out, this is the document. Thirty-eight towns across Salerno, Naples, and Avellino, named one by one, several of them only in part. It’s in Italian (and it ain’t a page-turner). It’s also what every claim on every can goes back to.
The whole “San Marzano” thing is a MAJOR scam! The fact is that only 5% of what is sold worldwide is GENUINE San Marzano. All the rest are fakes.
Hey, Linda. I hear you! I pick up can after can after can in the markets until I finally find one that has the DOP label from the consortium that guarantees they’re from the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, a stretch of the Sarno River plain southeast of Naples. The only place they can be grown and still carry that seal. I did some digging, and the 5% number is not worldwide. Actually, the US only. It seems as if things started getting extrapolated from this article in 2011. In it, the then-president of the Consortium, Edoardo Ruggiero, started with 1%, but when he was told the number was going to be printed, he hedged and said 5%.
The good news is that, if you search long enough, you’ll find cans that have the Consorzio di Tutela del Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino name and logo, plus a serial number assigned by the Consorzio, which are the real-deal, genuine, never-to-be-matched San Marzano tomatoes!
I am a tomato fiend, and I love San Marzano DOP tomatoes. Every brand that I have tried has been eclipsed by an American brand. I’m reluctant to disclose it, because the price is rising fast due to demand, and it can be hard to find (look at a store sometimes referred to as whole paycheck). But here goes: DiNapoli Whole Peeled Tomatoes and DiNapoli Crushed Tomatoes. Organic California tomatoes. San Marzano upstaged, totally. And I’ve created some good Karma for myself for sharing.
You sure have, Russ! Thanks so much for sharing.