Torre Canne Regina Tomato

Regina (which means “queen”) is the name of a local tomato variety grown in the Alto Salento between Fasano and Ostuni. Specifically, it is cultivated in the saline soils of the Coastal Dunes Regional Park from Egnazia, through Torre Canne, to Torre San Leonardo, along the Via Traiana, an ancient Roman road. The variety’s name derives from the fact that the calyx grows in the shape of a little crown. The tomatoes themselves are small (slightly larger than a cherry tomato) and round. The brackish water with which the fields near the sea are irrigated causes the tomatoes to grow a thick skin, which increases their preservability and resistance to pests.

The cultivation of the regina tomato dates back to the mid-19th century, when it replaced cotton. Before this time, the just a small portion of land was set aside for tomato cultivation. Cotton, known as bambace, was cultivated in Salento beginning in the 14th century and was an important crop for local farmers: It was turned into sheets, towels, tablecloths, and garments, which women wove and embroidered at home. When America and Asia became the primary suppliers of cotton, wheat and tomatoes became the most important crops in the Alto Salento, and they occupy large areas to this day. But cotton did not disappear completely: It is used to produce the cords with which the tomatoes are tied into bunches known as ramasole. This is how the tradition of planting cotton among the rows of tomatoes was born. Harvest of Torre Canne Regina Tomatoes begins in July. Part of the crop is sold fresh and part is placed in boxes to dry slightly until the beginning of September, when the cotton is ready for spinning. At this point the tomatoes are tied together by the peduncle into ramasole and hung so that they may be used until the following April. At one time, having many ramasole was an expression of social prestige and family wealth, and local girls of marriageable age who owned many ramasole were especially desirable.

Season

Harvest begins in July; withered tomatoes are available until the following April