Datterino Cherry Tomato

Attianese Pomodorino Datterino, the same family as Italianavera

Attianese Pomodorino Datterino are small, elongated date tomatoes from Campania, preserved in their own juice. The can bears the family name and a label in the style of the sixties, while Italianavera packages the same harvest in bright colors.

Pomodorino Datterino by Attianese is a small date tomato with a high sugar content, named after the slender shape of the date. Its dense flesh distinguishes it from more watery varieties, and preserved in its own juice, this aroma lasts for months—with Attianese just as with Italianavera.

Sweet, dense, and with a short cooking window

Eaten raw from the can, the Datterino is reminiscent of a sun-warmed fruit straight from the vine, sweet, with an acidity that only comes through afterward. Its firm flesh retains a pleasant bite, completely without the watery fullness of larger varieties.

When cooked, it needs little time; ten to fifteen minutes over a low flame are enough for the aroma to open up and the juice to thicken. After that, the sweetness quickly turns to caramel, which is why it is better to take the pan off the heat too early rather than too late.

This short window distinguishes it from larger varieties that handle a half-hour of simmering well. If you still want to cook it longer, add a handful of peeled fruits, which absorb the sugar and keep the sauce balanced.

For sugo, pizza, and the pantry

The Datterino is just as suitable for a sweet pasta sugo as it is on pizza, where its sweetness contrasts with salty anchovies and olives. For fried fish or light meat, it becomes a side dish that no longer needs any added sugar.

In a velvety soup or a risotto, its sweetness remains in the background and rounds off the saltiness provided by broth and rice. You can crush it or leave it chunky, depending on how visible you want the fruit to be on the plate.

For the pantry, the can is a reliable go-to when there is nothing fresh in the house in the evening. Unopened, it lasts throughout the season; once opened, transfer the remainder to a screw-top jar and keep it cold.

The same variety under a colorful label is carried by the Datterino date tomatoes from Italianavera; for something more tart, look at the Corbarino. Everything else from Campania can be found under Pasta, Risotto, and Sugo.

Hand-harvested in small clusters

Date tomatoes hang in small clusters and ripen unevenly, which is why they are hand-picked in several passes. A machine would pick up the unripe fruits and pull down the sweetness of the entire batch.

There are only a few hours between picking and canning, as small fruits lose their fragrance faster than large ones. The juice in the can comes from the same harvest, pressed from the fruits that were too soft for the rest of the tin.

In Italy, any small, date-shaped fruit is called Datterino, regardless of which breeding line it comes from. Several varieties stand side by side in the fields of Campania, differing in size and sweetness, yet sold under the same name.

Attianese sticks to the label of the past, while Italianavera displays the same harvest in bright colors. Anyone who places both cans side by side will see the difference at first glance and barely taste it.

Content 400g – Drained weight 240g