Beefsteak tomato

The beefsteak tomato is a widespread but relatively little traded in the German area meat tomato variety that produces up to 500 grams heavy, strong ribbed, very fleshy, usually bright red fruits.

There are also darker red, pink and yellow fruit forms, common to all the many folded misshapen figure that actually resembles the heart of an ox, not only in appearance but also in volume and weight and therefore the most common designation of the variety in several languages ​​is inspired ( Italian cuore di bue, French coeur de boeuf, English Oxheart or bull's heart).

History

The first known mention goes back to a Russian breed form, which was brought to America in 1901. Main producing countries are today the USA, Hungary, Poland, Russia, France and Italy. Was in Italy and is particularly grown in the area of Albenga in Liguria in large cultures cuore di bue the. The two best known and most produced variants are the cuor'di Levante and Ponente cuor'di, both of which were marked by centuries of selective breeding.

Harvest and trade

The fruits of the variety are large, bulky and relatively saftarm, with several chambers that contain only a few seeds. Cuore di bue be harvested for trade, usually green and then quickly take the respective color. At full maturity point about a week after harvesting the meat of Cuor di Bue is even with red coloring still firm and full, but the shell soft and very sensitive to pressure. The taste is at harvest still sour, but it is sweeter with the ripening and converts to a full and distinctive flavor.

Fully ripe fruits should be eaten as soon as they no longer are durable long afterwards. The comparison with other varieties, short shelf life and the sensitivity of the fruit for transport damage are the main reasons that the cuore di bue is found rarely in the German trade, while it is taste one of the best tomato varieties. In Italy, it is preferably eaten raw and slightly green, because in this stage of maturity, the ratio of acid is optimal for the taste of sugar.

Use

For an insalata caprese with buffalo mozzarella and basil hardly a tomato variety is better than the ox heart tomato, but it can be equally well be used in sauces.