BARCA GRANDE DI BRUNO (BIG BOAT OF BRUNO). A mid-season, high-yielding tomato variety. Indeterminate plants, robust and tall — reaching 1.5–1.8 m., requiring pruning and staking. Characterized by steady growth and strong vegetative vigor. Fruits are large, heart-shaped, deep red, weighing from 300 to 500 g. and more. Flesh is dense, meaty, juicy, without excess moisture.

The taste is exceptional — rich, intense, with a bright tomato aroma, a fine balance of sweetness and pleasant acidity. Minimal seed and juice content. A versatile variety: excellent for fresh salads, cooking, making sauces, pastes, and thick juice. Truly an outstanding variety. Fruits often reach and exceed 500 g. Inside — bright, raspberry-red, oily flesh with a silky texture, resembling a plum.

The taste is richly sweet, with light fruity notes, non-watery. Walls are thick, dense, almost without voids. In culinary use, the variety is indispensable: especially good for thick, aromatic sauces, stewing, and pasteurization. For us, it's one of the most successful and stable "oxheart" type varieties.

HISTORY OF THE BARCA GRANDE DI BRUNO VARIETY:

According to information found on foreign internet resources, the variety was brought to the USA from Yugoslavia before the start of World War II. Since the 1960s, it has been consistently cultivated by the family of Michel Abbattista. Even our reliable seed exchange partners, from whom we received this variety, could not provide more detailed info.

The name of the variety — Barca Grande di Bruno, which translates from Italian as "Big Boat of Bruno" — suggests a possible Italian origin or at least cultural roots. However, there is no exact confirmation of its origin. This only adds to the variety's aura of mystery and collectible value.

POPULAR TOMATOES:

These varieties are popular among collectors and gourmets worldwide due to their taste, shape, and texture. Here's a TOP list of heart-shaped tomato varieties:

• Cuor di Bue (Italy): Classic Italian "Oxheart" variety. Large, meaty fruits with thin skin and sweet taste. Ideal for salads and Italian cuisine.

• Reisetomate (Germany): Unique variety with fruits resembling connected heart segments. Unusual appearance and rich taste.

• Pantano Romanesco (Italy): Italian heart-shaped tomato from the outskirts of Rome. Raspberry-colored fruits, up to 300–500 g, sweet, meaty, with a bright aroma.

• Coeur de Boeuf (France): French counterpart of Cuor di Bue. Very large heart-shaped fruits with meaty texture and thin skin. Often used in gastronomy.

• Brandywine (USA): American variety with rounded heart-shaped fruits. Raspberry-pink, up to 500 g and more, sweet, with characteristic velvety skin.

• Anna Russian (USA): Old variety that came to the USA from Russia. Early-maturing, heart-shaped fruits, raspberry-colored, with rich sweet taste.

• Oxheart Pink (Poland): Vintage "oxheart" type variety, popular in Eastern Europe and the USA. Pink fruits, up to 600 g, meaty and aromatic.