Best Western European Vegetable Types
Named after its town of origin, pomodoro di Pachino refers to various varieties of fresh tomatoes grown within the Sicilian province of Syracuse. The sweet flavored Pachino tomatoes are characterized by a particularly succulent flesh and prized for their long shelf life.
They are best enjoyed fresh, and typically used as an ingredient for mixed salads, cold pasta dishes or for pizza toppings. Also, according to old Sicilian culinary traditions, Pachino tomatoes are often sun-dried and preserved in olive oil in which way they can be used for making pâtés and tapenades, various flans and a seemingly limitless number of pasta dishes.
Named after the Calabrian town of Tropea settled along the Tyrrhenian coast in the province of Vibo Valentia, Cipolla Rossa di Tropea Calabria refers to the red onions of the following cultivars: Tondo Piatta (early ripening), Mezza Campana (mid-season) and Allungata (late ripening).
They are further categorized into three types: Cipollotto (scallion), Cipolla da Consumo Fresco (fresh onion) and Cipolla da Serbo (preserved onion). Fully ripe Tropea onions are either round or slightly elongated, succulent and particularly sweet.
Prized by many chefs as the best of its kind, Pomodoro S. Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino is a variety of plum tomato grown along the banks of Sarno River in the fertile volcanic plains south of Mount Vesuvius, namely within the provinces of Naples, Salerno and Avellino.
Locally known as 'the king of tomatoes', San Marzano peels quite easily and is characterized by an almost seedless flesh, bright red color and a delicate, bittersweet flavor. Even though San Marzano tomatoes are commonly used in a wide variety of Italian dishes, they have been designated as the only tomato variety that can be used for Vera Pizza Napoletana, the genuine Neapolitan pizza.
Grown and produced in the province of Naples, namely within the Vesuvio National Park, Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio refers to cherry tomatoes which are marketed al piennolo, braided in bunches and sun-dried. As the tomatoes slowly dry out, their sweet flavor and aroma become more intense and concentrated.
Thanks to this old Vesuvian method of preserving, these fragrant cherry tomatoes can be enjoyed year round. Piennolo tomatoes are amazingly versatile and typically used as pizza topping or for preparing a wide variety of traditional Neapolitan pasta dishes like Scialatielli con salsiccia and Tagliatelle alle vongole or even desserts such as Millefoglie del Vesuvio.
Costoluto fiorentino is a tomato variety originating from Florence. This heirloom has a distinct flattened and heavily ribbed shape. When mature, the color of the tomato is a brilliant deep red. These tomatoes have a meaty and juicy texture that is high in sugar and acid, making them one of the best varieties for cooking and making rich sauces or soups such as pappa al pomodoro.
They are also used fresh, sliced and added to sandwiches or salads.
Ajo Morado de Las Pedroñeras are the purple garlic bulbs grown in the in the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha. Nutritionally, this garlic is different from that grown elsewhere because it contains more organosulfur compounds and allicin.
These compounds give garlic its characteristic smell and flavor and are thought to have antibiotic properties and could be beneficial for overall health. Ajo Morado de Las Pedroñeras is spicy, very flavorful and has an intense smell and aroma.
Rucola della Piana del Sele is an Italian rocket (arugula) variety that's grown in the province of Salerno. The leaves have a crispy texture, an intense, sharp, and spicy aroma, and a strong, distinctive flavor, which means that it can be enjoyed without any salt.
When sold on the market, the product is fresh or ready to eat. The rocket is packaged in crates, trays, tubs, packets, or mesh bags. The characteristics of rucola della Piana del Sele are a result of the environment in which it is grown and the distinctive soil (volcanic and alluvial) and climate.
Grelos de Galicia are turnip greens of the species Brassica rapa L. var. rapain, grown in the Autonomous Community of Galicia. These turnip greens are dark green and have a slightly bitter and acidic taste. Their texture is very soft due to their low fibre content.
Grelos de Galicia is harvested from October to January by hand and it is very common to see farmers markets full of this colorful vegetable in the winter months. It is a staple ingredient in local cuisine with many traditional dishes such as Galician stew featuring it as the main ingredient.
Piment d'Espelette is a fiery red, hand-picked chili pepper with a strong smell reminiscent of fruit and smoke, produced in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region in France. It was originally used in the south-west of France for curing dried ham.
Their taste is spicy and piquant, but not too hot on the palate. It can be sold in a few ways - as fresh, whole peppers strung in pairs of twos, threes, or fours on a string, or ground into orangey-red chili powder after the peppers have ripened enough.
Padrón pepper is a Galician pepper originating from the Padrón municipality. The peppers range in color from bright green to yellowish green. Although they are usually mild in flavor, about one in ten of these peppers is spicy as hell, but it's almost impossible to tell them apart until you taste them, which is like playing Russian roulette with peppers.
Padrón peppers are traditionally fried in olive oil and seasoned with coarse sea salt. They are served in most tapa bars and restaurants in the region, and it's recommended to have a glass of beer, wine, or cider nearby - in case you eat a few of the spicy ones.
Best Western European Vegetable Producers
El Navarrico is a family-owned company founded in 1960 by José Salcedo and his wife Amalia in San Adrián, Navarra, Spain. They began with the handcrafted production of canned asparagus and piquillo peppers in a modest workshop located beneath their family home.
Today, El Navarrico operates a 10,000-square-meter production facility and offers over 250 high-quality gourmet products, including vegetables, legumes, fruits, and ready-to-eat meals. Their products are renowned for preserving the authentic flavors of the Navarra region, achieved through a combination of traditional methods and innovative techniques.
AWARDS

Great Taste Awards - 2 stars
2021
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Western European Vegetables” list until April 23, 2025, 1,172 ratings were recorded, of which 840 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.