Sundried tomatoes "Pizzutello di Paceco"

Product included in the national list of traditional agri-food products (PAT)

Type PAT : Vegetable products in their natural state or processed

Production area: 

Technical data sheet of the traditional agri-food product (PAT)

Area of ​​production: Municipality of Paceco, Trapani, Erice and Valderice.

Brief description of the product: Serbian tomato with small red or yellow berry, characterized by the presence of a punctiform umbo, grown both for fresh consumption and preserved "hung" in twine for consumption in the winter. Excellent ingredient of Trapani pesto and "origanata" pizza

Description of the processing and maturing methods: Dried tomato (grown in the absence of irrigation) both in flat land and in hilly areas. Resistant to numerous adversities, both of a physiological and parasitic nature, it is obtained, for the most part, in organic cultivation.

Specific materials and equipment used for preparation and conditioning: The fresh tomato is harvested when fully ripe and placed on the market for subsequent processing or destined for restaurants and / or pizzerias. The product from Serbian is collected from the veraison phase to that of light red color to be sent for conservation.

Description of the processing, storage and maturing rooms: The Serbian tomato, which in dialectal terms is also called pennula tomato, it is harvested in the early hours of the day, by removing the grape bunches of tomatoes that are ripe or poorly colored from the plant with scissors. Immediately the clusters are manually strung into twine threads to form the so-called feathers which subsequently must be hung in a cool and ventilated place.

Elements proving that the methodologies have been practiced in a homogeneous way and according to traditional rules for a period of not less than 25 years: In the Municipality of Paceco, first, and in the neighboring municipalities subsequently, the cultivation of dried tomatoes and the consequent preparation of tomatoes to be preserved in hanging clusters, has been practiced for over 50 years and still continues today due to the growing demand from local pizzerias who prefer this type of tomato, obtained in the absence of irrigation, maintains the characteristic aroma and properties of fresh and natural tomatoes even in winter.

Source Pat Cards: Sicily Region 

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Information contributions: Web, Region of Sicily

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