Growing Regions

The differences in soil and climate conditions among the various tomato growing regions account for variances in consistency, solids, taste, and usage. While tomatoes are grown in many regions around the globe—China, India, and Turkey being the world’s largest producers— Performance Foodservice sources from several major growing regions which produce the finest tasting tomatoes on the planet. In the United States, this includes California, the nation’s No. 1 producer, the Midwest, primarily in the states of Indiana and Ohio. While internationally this includes portions of Canada, and the Naples region of Italy.

Tomatoes grown in California have higher amounts of solids (sugar, acids, salt) than those grown in the Midwest, Canada, and Italy. The higher solid count in California allows producers to craft a more diverse range of products, from quality pizza sauces, to allpurpose ground tomatoes, to peeled pear tomatoes in juice or purée. The higher solids in California tomatoes provide more structure and durability. When making sauce preparations, California tomatoes can endure a longer cook time because of this structure. Also, preparing a sauce using meat such as beef, pork, veal, or lamb will work well with the higher tomato solids. Pizza baked in a 500-degree oven will also perform well with California products.

Midwest tomatoes have fewer solids and are less sweet and tart than those grown in California and Italy. And despite a shorter growing season, the tomatoes produced in the Midwest are grown at the same latitude as those in Italy and California, resulting in vineripe products that are rich in color, texture, and flavor, perfect for sauces and ketchup.

Italy’s tomato producers make fewer varieties, but the distinct flavor of peeled whole tomatoes with basil makes them the most popular tomato products in pizza and Italian cooking throughout the world. In Naples, Mount Vesuvius’ volcanic soil and the nearby sea provide an ideal environment for tomato plants, giving them a sweet and only slightly tart taste.

The differences in soil and climate conditions account for variances in consistency, taste, and usage.