The regina tomato weaves its history with traditions, cotton and hemp.
Origin
The Torre Canne Regina Tomato is a Slow Food Presidia variety that is cultivated in the Salento area, Apulia, next to the ancient Traiana street, from Torre Canne to Torre San Leonardo till Egnazia. This tomato became popular during the 19th century, substituting the local production of cotton. The latter didn’t disappear, but it was produced to make ropes to weave tomato bundles together. From this, started the tradition of planting cotton together with tomatoes. This amazing ingredient can be picked in July and from September to April is preserved dried!
Cookit
The taste is slightly acid and the peel is a bit prickly. Very versatile in the kitchen and perfect if you suffer from cholesterol. The pulp is juicy and it makes this particular tomato perfect for sauces and main courses like pasta or the typical orecchiette from Apulia. They can really be used for everything: from salads to meat and / or fish.
Did you know
The name regina is given by the peduncle: when it grows, it takes a shape that looks like a drown. Anciently, girls in the age of marriage who had a lot of ramosole, bundles of tomatoes, were very desired because this represented social prestige and richness.
