Spain is well known for its Mediterranean diet, filled with fish, rice, potatoes, and a very important ingredient… Tomatoes.
In Spain there are around 2,400 traditional tomatoes registered, without including the hundreds more on the commercial entry list. Spain is also a major export country of tomatoes and in 2024 was the main export of vegetables within the EU and second worldwide.
However, as 2,000 is too many to cover in one article, we are going to go through the top 10 tomatoes which are usually grown and used here:
TOMATE PERA
Grown in Andalucía and used in gazpacho, sauces and sofrito- Special mention to the Tomatina, they use a type of tomate pera in their yearly tomato battle.
TOMATE RAF
Grown in Almería, Andalucía and is commonly used raw in salads.
TOMATE ROSA DE BARBASTRO
Originated in Aragón, and is commonly used in its raw form in salads and pan con tomate.
TOMATE VALENCIANO
Harvested in Valencia and is commonly used in sandwiches and salads.
TOMATE MUCHAMIEL
Grown in Alicante and is added in salads and used for pan con tomate.
TOMATE DE PENJAR
Grown in Valencia and Cataluña, and is made into sauces and with pan con tomate.
TOMATE RAMALLET
Cultivated in Mallorca and Cataluña and is used for storage, sauces and pan con tomate.
TOMATE CORAZÓN DE BUEY
Typical Spanish and Mediterranean tomato used in salads and sandwiches.
TOMATE MONTSERRAT
Tomatoes from Cataluña typically used in salads and stuffed (stuffed tomatoes)
TOMATE HUEVO DE TORO
Made in Málaga, Andalucia. Eaten raw in salads and with salt and olive oil.
These are your top 10 types of tomato eaten and grown in Spain. Have you used the wrong type of tomato for the wrong thing? Watch our programme for more information!
