ORO di Parma: traditional farming - authentic pleasure
A strong red colour, juicy flesh, an aromatic scent - and most importantly a delicious, balanced taste on your tongue: slightly bitter, slightly sour, slightly sweet. That’s what comes to our mind, at ORO di Parma, when we think of perfect tomatoes. For over five decades, we have passionately dedicated ourselves to this natural ingredient. We place great value on careful farming, the best harvesting time and careful processing. That’s precisely what makes our tomato products so high in quality, and essential for truly authentic Italian cooking.
The Parma region in Italy offers the ideal conditions for growing the best tomatoes. The home of Parma ham and Parmigian cheese comes from is the home of ORO di Parma as well - as this is the centre and the heart of the Italian tomato culture. Virtually no other region has as much experience in cultivating tomatoes. As early as the second half of the 19th century regional farmers began cultivating tomatoes. Over time, they have gathered invaluable experience and constantly honed their expertise and knowledge of the needs these sensitive plants have.
Tomatoes from ORO di Parma also benefit from the beneficial geographical conditions of the Parma region. North of the prominent Apennine mountain range, stretches of fertile soil, a wonderfully sunny climate and just the right amount of rain collaborate to produce exquisite tomatoes. We make sure to allow each and every tomato plenty of time to ripen in the open air. That is the only way to ensure our tomatoes can develop their incomparable taste.
A key ingredient for the real Italian way of cooking
Tomatoes for ORO di Parma have been carefully selected and gently processed - without any preserving agents, of course. This ensures their full, fruity, intensive taste is best preserved - in our tomato paste, in our chopped and pureed tomatoes, and in our delicious pasta and pizza sauces. This makes our products essential ingredients for a truly Italian cooking approach. With ORO di Parma, you can enjoy truly Italian cuisine and zest for life, in your own home. Buon appetito!
From the American fruit to the Italian golden apple
Tomatoes are an integral ingredient in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Fans of good food all around the world love their taste. The history of the red fruit, however, begins not in Italy, but in Central and South America. The Maya and other peoples were already growing tomatoes as early as 200 BC. However, at that time, they were yellow. In the early 16th century, Christopher Columbus brought the tomato to Spain and Portugal. From there, they gradually spread all over Europe.
Due to their originally yellow colour, tomatoes also became known as “golden apples”. That’s where their Italian name comes from: “pomo” = apple, and “oro” = gold. At first, they were cultivated as a decorative plant, later to be used for medicinal purposes. Their triumphant success in European cuisine started in the 18th century. Around 1900, the tomato became known in Germany. Incidentally, the German name “Tomate”, like the English “tomato”, originates from the Aztec word for fruit, “xitomatl”.
Delicious and nutritious - tomato products from ORO di Parma
Tomatoes are an essential ingredient in Italian cuisine - and they are a valuable contributior to a healthy diet. A tomato may consist of 94% water, however, the remaining six percent have a lot to offer: tomatoes contain a large number of important nutrients, including vitamins B1, B2, C, E and niacin, as well as phytochemicals and minerals, particularly calcium.
Tomatoes also contain the fat-soluble dye lycopin, which gives them much more than just their red colour. Various studies have shown lycopin is good for the cardiovascular system, and has positive effects on our skin and eyes. In Germany, fresh tomatoes and processed tomatoes such as tomato paste, puree and tomato sauces cover about 85 percent of our lycopin requirement. Lycopin can stand heat very well, and is in fact better absorbed coming from processed tomatoes than fresh tomatoes.
However, the most important factor has to be the the tomato's taste. And the genuine taste of ORO di Parma comes from tomatoes grown on the cane in the Italian sunlight of the Italian Parma region until they are ripe and juicy - for your genuine Italian cooking.
