Since 2005, the Pallars Sobirà Regional Council has been developing a project for the recovery, conservation and dynamiting of local varieties of fruit, orchards and vineyards. During these years the land has been surveyed, varieties identified and the seeds preserved.
Now, they have opted to return some of these varieties to the Pallars orchards and they have started with two “highly appreciated” and practically extinct varieties of tomatoes. These are the varieties 'popa de vaca' from Àrreu (Alt Àneu) and 'redona' from La Borda de Borja (Sort).
To make it possible, 1,000 tomato plants of these varieties have been distributed so that people can replant them in their gardens. The prize will be in August with the harvest of the first tomatoes.
This variety recovery project has been baptized with the name 'Som d'aquí'. Job Roig, an agricultural technician, explained that the Pallars Sobirà Regional Council is one of the few entities that is simultaneously working on the recovery of the vineyard, fruit bowls and orchards. As far as the vineyard is concerned, during all this time they have already identified some sixty different varieties, about 350 from fruit grocers and eighty from orchards.
As regards the choice of these two tomato varieties, they are the first to be recovered due to their "uniqueness". These are “unique and very versatile” varieties. The round tomato variety has become extinct and was no longer cultivated in any orchard. Now, it has recovered. The Tomata popa de vaca is only in one family from Àrreu that keeps it and there was no continuity in the cultivation.
The round tomato variety originates from the Borda de Borja de Sort, although it is very old, so much so that its cultivation has disappeared. Despite this, its recovery has been possible thanks to the conservation of local seeds. It is a late variety that produces red-pink fruits with a characteristic greenish hue on top, which disappears when ripe.
Ripe tomatoes are large in size, full and with fleshy pulp and greyish seeds, suitable for salads and preserves.
The popa de vaca tomato variety is the northernmost in Pallars Sobirà. It is a type of tomato that presents an erect growth, with post leaves, which produces 5 to 6 flower buds. The furts begin to ripen in August and are red in color, of medium-large caliber. Its shape is elongated and finished with small, hairy seeds. From the organoleptic point of view it has a sweet taste.
Regarding consumption, the best aptitude is as a canned tomato, because it is very full, with fleshy and velvety pulp, and very thin skin.
