These Are Giada De Laurentiis' Favorite Italian Tomatoes
Home cooks who love to eat and prepare Italian food are wise to pay attention when Giada De Laurentiis weighs in on the subject. Her Italian cooking chops are part of what led her to be discovered for her own Italian cooking show, "Everyday Italian." Additionally, Food Network believes her culinary training plus Italian heritage make her well qualified to speak as an expert on the topic.
Her expertise has ranged from sharing her secret ingredient for perfect mascarpone with Tasting Table to writing an entire book devoted to Italian noodles called "Everyday Pasta" (via Penguin Random House). Sometimes, she skips the "middle man" and shares her cooking expertise directly with her audiences on her social media channels, though.
She recently did exactly that in a TikTok video concerning the type of Italian tomatoes she prefers over all others. The celebrity chef not only revealed which variety she prefers but exactly why one particular label has earned her respect.
De Laurentiis' top tomatoes come from Campania
According to Giada De Laurentiis' TikTok, when you say tomato, she says "pomodorino." In the video, De Laurentiis presents four different varieties of tomatoes and highlights one of the tomatoes as her absolute favorite. Her pick is the classic Sapori di Corbara Corbarino tomato from Monti Lattari in Campania, Italy.
She says that when she uses them to make a sauce, she likes to toss in a parmesan rind for some added creaminess. De Laurentiis then describes the tomatoes as "insane." So, what's so special about this variety of tomatoes? Discover Campania says that Monti Lattari spans about 21 miles near Italy's Gulf of Naples. De Laurentiis explains the tomatoes from the region are stellar if you like a super-smooth tomato sauce, but really they are great for everything.
Chenab Gourmet explains that while the tomato came to Italy from Aztec farmers, Italian agriculture has since cultivated the fruit into a national staple. The numerous different varieties of tomatoes that Italy produces have become synonymous with various parts of the country through the centuries, like how San Marzano tomatoes are native to southern Italy.
For De Laurentiis, it seems that the top destination for tomato lovers is the Monti Lattari mountain range in Campania, specifically because of the Sapori di Corbara Corbarino tomatoes found there. Given the celebrity chef's credentials and heritage, it would be foolhardy to dismiss her recommendation.