Ligurian Bulls Heart

These tomatoes are fairly small compared to other Bull’s Hearts, with a characteristic heart shape and a deep red colour which is rarely found in other varieties. The pulp is compact, with few seeds and a clean tomato flavour, enhanced by a good acidity.

This variety of Bull’s Heart is typical of Liguria. We have been sourcing them from Giovanni for several years now. He uses heritage seeds, which his father was saving before him. This means the seeds have been selected from plants for flavour year after year, producing tomatoes which often display scars and other cosmetic marks. Whilst to many people these are seen as imperfections, we see beauty in them. The scars are a consequence of the thin skin that is typical of this heritage tomato. Giovanni has preserved this variety for its magnificent flavour, saving the seeds each season, as his father did before him.

On the terraced hills of Celle Ligure, Giovanni grows them outdoors, giving the tomatoes their incredible character: the plants have to work hard to cope with the unpredictability of the environment, resulting in stronger, bolder flavours - this is now very rarely done by the majority of tomato producers. The plants benefit from the breeze coming from the nearby sea, naturally helping to control diseases and pests. The Ligurian climate, with its warm summer days, together with the richness of the soil and the skills of Giovanni ultimately contributes to the outstanding quality of truly one of the best tomatoes we have ever tried.