 he Pomodoro di San Marzano, now grown in the soils around Naples, was first brought over from Spain in the sixteenth century, but it was not until the eighteenth century that the tomato began to be used as a typical ingredient of Neapolitan cooking. The San Marzano ecotype is grown specifically for transformation into peeled tomatoes and is the only type cultivated in the
Agro-Sarnese-Nocerino area. The soils in this area are among the best in the entire country. The volcanic ash from nearby Mount Vesuvius combined with the rich earth of the pre-Apennine hills have created a fertile terrain with very special physical and chemical qualities. As for the climate, the area enjoys the beneficial influence of the sea air. The Pomodoro di San Marzano is very closely associated with its geographical area of production where it is widely cultivated by small-scale growers then transformed, peeled and canned by local industries. The growing area encompasses numerous town districts in the provinces of Naples, Salerno and Avellino.
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