Tondino Tomato

Attianese Pomodoro Tondino, like Italianavera from Campania

Attianese Pomodoro Tondino are small, round cherry tomatoes from the Piana del Sele near Salerno, preserved in their own juice. The tin with its vintage label comes from the same Campanian family as Italianavera, but carries the older of the two names.

Pomodoro Tondino by Attianese is a small, round fruit from the Piana del Sele in the province of Salerno, its name referring to its compact, spherical shape. Firm-fleshed and with few seeds, it packs its sweetness into a very small space, unlike the elongated varieties found at Italianavera.

Round, sweet, and firm to the bite

The skin remains firm during cooking and the flesh juicy, so the small sphere holds its shape even when elongated varieties have long since fallen apart. You will notice this difference with the very first spoonful from the tin.

Crushed in a pan, it creates a thick, concentrated sauce within fifteen minutes, with no need to drain off any water. If you leave the fruit whole, add them directly to a stew, where they remain round for a long time before bursting and releasing their sweetness.

In this variety, the sweetness is more concentrated than in large beefsteak types because there is a lot of sugar in a small volume. A pinch of salt and a sprig of basil are enough to make them flourish in the pot.

For sauce, summer salad, and quick pans

The Tondino is just as suitable for a pasta sauce as it is for a salad with mozzarella, where the round fruits can be left whole. On pizza, halved and lightly salted, they are perfectly sufficient when you are in a hurry.

In a fish soup or a ratatouille, the spherical shape holds up longer than more delicate varieties, which keeps distinct pieces in the dish. Coarsely chopped on toasted bread with olive oil and oregano, it makes an effortless bruschetta.

Transfer leftovers from an opened tin to a screw-top jar, cover them with a little olive oil, and refrigerate. The contents will keep for two to three days like this; after that, they belong in a pan rather than on a plate.

You can find the elongated date shape in the Pomodorino Datterino from Attianese, and the tarter variety in the Corbarino from Italianavera. You can find the rest of our selection from Campania under Pasta, Risotto, and Sugo.

The Piana del Sele south of Salerno

Between Salerno and the Tyrrhenian Sea lies the Piana del Sele, flat, warm, and irrigated all year round. Warm nights and sufficient water allow the small fruits to ripen evenly instead of splitting in the sun.

They are harvested at full ripeness and processed on the same day, because a small fruit loses its aroma faster than a large beefsteak variety. From this urgency comes the clear, almost fresh note that the tin later releases.

Tondino is simply Italian for "the round one," a market term that describes the shape rather than the breeding line. In Campania, it stands for an entire group of small round fruits that vary slightly from one producer to the next.

The label today looks like a find from an old pantry and signifies exactly that: the time when every family in Campania preserved their own supplies. Italianavera tells the same origin story with bright colors; Attianese sticks to the image of the past.

Contents 400g – Drained weight 240g