Plum Tomatoes vs Roma Tomatoes [San Marzano Tips]

There are many different varieties of tomatoes.

The typical round tomato, small cherry tomatoes, and the in-between plum and grape tomatoes.

Today, I will explain the difference between plum tomatoes and Roma tomatoes.

Plum tomatoes which include Roma and San Marzano have fewer seeds and juice in the center.

Due to their texture and the lack of seeds and juice, they are better for preparing sauces.

In this article, I will explain the differences between San Marzano and Roma plum tomatoes, and whether San Marzano tomatoes taste better than other tomatoes.

San Marzano vs Roma

The two common types of plum tomatoes are San Marzano and Roma.

They are two distinct varieties that have some differences but generally have the same outside appearance.

Here’s what they are:

Blossom end rot is where the bottom of the tomato turns brown and is inedible.

It needs to be removed which means about ¼ of the tomato is thrown away.

They also have various differences in the nutrients they contain.

Here’s a table that shows a side by side comparison of the nutrients found in both based on the recommended daily intake (RDI) of each:

When you sum all the nutrients they are both almost identical however, there are some notable differences in the individual nutrients. They are:

• San Marzano tomatoes have 7% of the RDI of iron, Roma tomatoes have none
• Roma tomatoes have double the vitamin C that San Marzano tomatoes have
• Roma tomatoes have 30% more riboflavin
• San Marzano tomatoes have 30% more niacin

San Marzano tomatoes are often canned so that they can be used all year long.

Here’s a quote from chef:

“23 years as a professional chef taught me that at least as far as canned tomatoes go, San Marzano is the gold standard. Sweet, low-acid (so they don’t end up tasting like metal from the can) and with a much higher ratio of flesh to liquid”

Based on the opinion of this chef it’s clear that if you’re using canned tomatoes and are choosing between San Marzano and Roma tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes are a better option.

 

There are many different varieties of tomatoes.

Some are better suited to be used sliced in sandwiches and can provide a better flavor and texture for different recipes.

But, do San Marzano tomatoes taste better, and are they the best tasting San Marzano tomatoes?

Plum tomatoes are different from other tomatoes because they contain less juice and seeds.

The other main type of plum tomato is Roma tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than Roma tomatoes.

There is some debate about the prestigious status held by San Marzano tomatoes.

It’s conclusive that the texture of them is the best for making sauces such as tomato sauce for chips, or pizza.

But, many people argue that the improved flavor that many people attribute to San Marzano tomatoes is due to the attributes of the soil.

Here’s a video that shows a traditional way of making tomato sauce in Italy:

For example, many San Marzano tomatoes are imported from Italy.

Whereas, if you get a variety of San Marzano that is grown locally it may not have the same delicious flavor.

As you may know, various plants in the same variety are selectively kept because they have a particularly delicious flavor.

Because of that, it’s likely the San Marzano tomatoes grown in Italy have a much better flavor than other varieties of San Marzano tomatoes.

And also the type of soil that is unique to Italy will have an influence on the overall flavor.

Therefore, how good or average certain San Marzano tomatoes taste that you buy either locally or canned varies a lot.

As well as, the flavor of other varieties.

Cherry tomatoes are also a lot sweeter than regular tomatoes.

And are sweeter than plum tomatoes.

I recently looked into the nutrients found in cherry tomatoes in this article about whether cherry tomatoes are good for you.

San Marzano tomatoes have a reputation for being very good.

Tomatoes in general are some of the most popular vegetables. But, here’s what makes San Marzano tomatoes the best.

For making tomato sauce for pizza, or as a dipping sauce, San Marzano tomatoes are preferred because of their flavor according to most people.

Roma tomatoes by comparison are more acidic, and therefore taste sourer.

Although some people prefer a sour taste to tomato sauce, by and large, most people prefer the taste of San Marzano tomatoes.

When you cut into a San Marzano or other plum tomato the inside is equally divided into 3 compartments/segments.

They have thick walls, and one of the segments is typically almost all flesh, whereas the other segments have a small number of seeds and barely any juice at all.

The seeds and juice don’t make for a very good raw ingredient in a tomato sauce because a tomato sauce needs to be thick with the flesh of the tomato.

Rather than runny and watery due to the seeds and juice.

So, San Marzano tomatoes are far better for making sauce.

Tomato sauce is very versatile and can be used on pasta such as spaghetti, as well as, for pizza or used as a dipping sauce for roasted root vegetables like potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Key takeaway:

San Marzano tomatoes are a type of plum tomato.

San Marzano tomatoes overall have a sweeter less acidic flavor than the other main type of plum tomatoes – Roma tomatoes.