Portugal's Tomate Coração de Boi Popular Again After Nearly Dying Out

(Photo by Paulo Pereira)

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Ten years ago, the fleshy, succulent tomate coração de boi, with its firm steak-like pulp, was on the edge of extinction in Portugal.

Today, there are more than 50 wine producers and farms, principally in the Douro region, which grow the tomato named for its resemblance to the heart of a bovine, popular again among growers though ever-popular with consumers, reported Jornal do Centro (August 7).

What accounted for the tomato's change in fortune?

In 2016, an initiative began to encourage wine producers and others to revive cultivation of the coração de boi. One of its projects was the Douro Festival of Tomate Coração de Boi.

The 11th festival began on August 21 and was slated to run through the end of the month. The program included 30 regional restaurants offering menus dedicated to the fruit and a competition for the best producer held at Quinta do Mourão, in Lamego, Viseu District, reported Expresso (August 11).

The festival was created by Greengrape, a public relations firm specializing in regional wine, gastronomy and tourism. It was promoted by the Douro Intermunicipal Community, which is an association of 19 municipalities from the districts of Bragança, Guarda, Vila Real and Viseu.

Besides reviving the tomate coração de boi, the festival and other initiatives introduce a different element into wine tourism, demonstrate the value of the land by diversifying crops and reinforce the connection among producers, restaurants, local communities and tourists.

Because the tomate coração de boi is harvested in late summer and the vindima (grape harvest), a crucial step in wine-making, is usually in the autumn, the tomato attracts visitors in the period before vindimas.

"(Growing the coração de boi) is a way for the estates to communicate with each other and be together, outside of the subject of grapes and wine, which is what unites us. It was another fruit, the tomate coração de boi, which ended up making us communicate more and be closer today with the purpose of agricultural production," said João Paulo Magalhães, director of Quinta de Ventozelo estate, in Ervedosa do Douro, Municipality of São João da Pesqueira, which participated in the first festival.

Most of the competitors for the best tomate coração de boi are Douro wine producers who keep vegetable gardens, growing local agricultural varieties, according to Jornal de Centro (August 7).

100 Percent Organic in Viseu Village

In the village of Vale de Figueira, in Tabuaço, Viseu District, Leonel Fernandes coordinated a small group of farmers who sell the fruit to hotels and restaurants, some of which have the prestigious Michelin stars, reported Jornal do Centro.

"The coração de boi is produced in the village in a 100 percent organic way, without any pesticides. In addition to producing it, I also market the product. I have a price for the farmer and then I sell to restaurants, depending on the orders. The total production is around 1,800 kilos to two tons per season.

"This year, the tomate coração de boi is a little later and slightly smaller, but this is a consequence of the heat we've been having. In terms of quality, it has a lot of flavor. The color is also very good and, for now, the prospects are for a good tomate coração de boi."

Quality

Edgardo Pacheco, food journalist and curator of this initiative, highlighted the quality of the Douro's coração de boi.

"All regions produce good tomatoes, but none come close to the Douro's coração de boi," Pacheco told Visão ( August 2, 2022).

Why?

"First, there is the preservation of the seeds of the best fruits, a practice which has been in place for decades in the Douro; second, the schistose soil is the perfect terrain for the plant's balanced life; third, the high temperatures inject sweetness into the fruits, and fourth, the temperature variations, responsible for the firm texture of the fruits."

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)

The initiative's organizers aspire to have tomate coração de boi classified with the European Union's Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) seal. Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is a different classification which requires every single part of production, processing and preparation to occur in the specific region.

Protected Geographical Indication emphasizes the relationship between the specific geographic region, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographic origin, according to the European Commission.

At one time, there were 17 Portuguese fruits recognized with Protected Geographical Indication or Protected Designation of Origin status, including the cherry of Fundão and the Beira Alta apple, accounting for 15 percent of the national production of fruit, according to Productos Tradicionais Portugueses, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

European Union policy attempts to protect the names of specific products to promote their unique characteristics, linked to their geographical origin as well as traditional know-how.

The geographical indication enables consumers to trust and distinguish quality products while helping producers market their products better. The legislation came into force in 1992, expanding from wine to agricultural products and foodstuffs.

The European Union system supersedes national appellation systems, including Portugal's denominação de origem controlada (DOC).