What Makes a Great Tomato Paste?
Every epic marinara, every punishing five-alarm chili, and every recuperative minestrone starts with a great tomato paste. Here’s how to separate the everyday from the exceptional. High quality tomato paste will look moist and appealing, and often display a vibrant range of color. It may have a slightly pulpy or smooth consistency, and appear both creamy and bright. You can smell a quality tomato paste before you see it. It will emanate an authentic tomato aroma that includes fruity, floral, and earthy tones, and a ripe character. Sour is the predominant taste in a good tomato paste, but shouldn’t monopolize other notes. Sweet and bitter tastes will also be present, although play a much subtler role. Flavor is only enhanced by the aroma, which invites the same energetic ripe tomato notes. The paste is expected to provide a relatively smooth texture, only a moderate stickiness, and a mild aftertaste. We tested the tomato pastes in traditional form, by way of a marinara sauce served with
