Oxheart tomato `Cuor di Bue` - The classic from Italy

The "Cuor di Bue" is the undisputed queen of Italian beefsteak tomatoes. In this classic, smooth, and perfectly heart-shaped variety, it is an imposing heavyweight and an absolute highlight for every gourmet.

• Taste: Mild, buttery, and nearly acid-free. Its aroma is characterized by a delicate, elegant sweetness. Its standout feature is its texture: it consists almost exclusively of tender, melting, firm flesh with only tiny seed chambers—completely free of watery "gel."

• Growth: This vigorous indeterminate tomato reaches a height of approx. 1.80 to 2 meters. Its foliage often appears somewhat delicate and hangs slightly—this is completely normal for this variety and not a sign of water deficiency! The fruits themselves are gigantic and often weigh between 200 and 500 grams. Because of this enormous weight, the plant must be well-supported and tied up.

• Special features: Its flawless heart shape, tapering to a point at the bottom, and its extremely thin skin make it a visual and tactile sensation. Since it has no deep furrows or ribs, it is wonderfully easy to slice into continuous, huge slabs.

• Good to know: A real selling point is its yield: a single slice is often enough to top an entire piece of bread or fill a burger!

Traditionally, it is used for two completely different purposes, strictly depending on its degree of ripeness:

1. Half-ripe ("Invaiato"): For pure enjoyment

In Italy, one usually doesn't wait for the oxheart to become completely deep red and soft for salads. It is traditionally harvested and eaten at the so-called Invaiato stage—that is, when it is just turning from green to a delicate pinkish-red.

• Why? At this stage, the dense flesh is extremely firm to the bite, almost crisp, and still possesses a very slight, refreshing acidity that disappears completely upon full ripeness.

• Classic use: Cut paper-thin or into thick slices as a pure tomato salad (Insalata di Pomodori). Only first-class olive oil and a little coarse sea salt are added. No vinegar, no onions, no frills—the tomato is the absolute star.

2. Fully ripe (Deep red): For cooked dishes

When the oxheart has become deep red, heavy, and slightly soft to the touch on the vine, it shines in traditional cooked cuisine. Since it contains almost no water or seeds, it is a true problem-solver here:

• Pomodori Ripieni (Stuffed Tomatoes): Due to their enormous size and stable, meaty outer walls, they are the undisputed number one in Italy for stuffing. They are hollowed out and traditionally filled with risotto rice, herbs, garlic, and Parmesan. When baked in the oven, they do not collapse (unlike watery supermarket tomatoes) but retain their shape.

• Sugo & Passata (Sauce): Those who cook tomato sauce often have to simmer regular tomatoes for hours until the excess water has evaporated. Not so with the Cuor di Bue! Since it consists almost entirely of "meat," it produces an incredibly creamy, thick, and aromatic pasta sauce in record time.

• Panzanella (Bread salad): Cut into coarse pieces, it is mixed with stale, toasted ciabatta bread, raw onions, and olive oil. The bread soaks up the pure, slightly sweet tomato juice.

Do it like they do in Italy: Eat the oxheart half-ripe and firm as a fine salad with a little olive oil. And if you ever forget a tomato and it becomes completely soft and red—use it to cook the creamiest pasta sauce of your life, without hours of simmering!