Rosa di Benevento Tomato Seeds

Solanum lycopersicum

The Rosa di Benevento is a traditional heirloom tomato from the Campania region of southern Italy, where it has been cultivated for generations. It takes its name from the city of Benevento, and its defining feature is the rosy-pink colour of the fruit, which sets it apart from the deeper reds of other southern Italian tomatoes. In local dialect and seed listings it is sometimes called Tondino Rosa di Benevento, meaning the “little round pink tomato of Benevento.”

This tomato was not bred for modern uniformity but for household use and survival. Farmers and families in the region valued it because the fruits could be picked at the first blush of colour and stored for weeks or even months. In a time before refrigeration, this meant that tomatoes were available well into the winter, long after the harvest had ended. Like the better-known Piennolo del Vesuvio, the Rosa di Benevento was often hung in clusters or kept in baskets in cool storerooms, its firm flesh and thick skin slowing spoilage and protecting flavour.

The plants themselves are compact compared with many indeterminate varieties, yet they are remarkably productive. Growers consistently note the heavy yields, which is part of the reason the variety survived through the years. The fruits are small to medium in size, rounded, and coloured a soft rose pink. Their flesh is firm and sweet with a balanced acidity, and they are noted for being high in vitamin C.

In the kitchen, Rosa di Benevento is versatile. It can be eaten fresh in salads, enjoyed as a simple sliced tomato, or cooked down into sauces. In Benevento it plays a role in traditional dishes such as Scarpariello, a pasta prepared with basil, pecorino cheese, and a whipped mozzarella di bufala cream. Its sweetness and storage ability make it particularly prized for winter recipes, when few other fresh tomatoes are available.

These longkeeper tomato seeds are available directly from Garden Faerie Botanicals in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. The collection features heirloom and heritage seeds that are personally cultivated organically without the use of any chemicals. Emphasizing historical, rare, non-GMO seeds, this selection preserves biodiversity through open-pollination.