It took us a very very long time to select DOP San Marzano Tomatoes to import to America and carry in Gustiamo's Italy's Best Foods' catalog. It looks like in America everybody grows and sells San Marzano! With all the fakes around, we needed to be absolutely sure to find a producer with our same passion, integrity and honesty.
Gustiamo is proud to import San Marzano Tomatoes from Danicoop, a cooperative of 100 farmers in the Agro Sarnese Nocerino, a small area south of Napoli, where the village of San Marzano is located.
We are sure Danicoop's are real San Marzano DOP tomatoes because:
1. Danicoop president, Edoardo Ruggiero, is also the President of the Consorzio DOP San Marzano and there is no other person in the world who cares more about the authenticity of the product than he does; and
2. We met the farmers, visited the fields, saw the plants and know Edoardo Ruggiero's family well and can vouch for them. From left: Pasquale (son), Anna Maria (Mrs. Ruggiero), Paolo (son), Edoardo and Lucia (Paolo's wife). This picture was taken in the shop of Danicoop, where they sell food from local artisans (including Maida's) and produce grown by the farmers members of the cooperative. Below is Paolo, Edoardo's son, explaining to us what the "spaccio aziendale" is all about. If you go to the Sarnese Nocerino area, you must do your food shopping at Danicoop. As we say in Italian, Kilometro Zero doesn't get shorter than this! Click on the arrow to see and listen to Paolo Ruggiero. In English. Bravissimo!!!
