Rossi Nostr

[JerryL]

I need help finding information on the Rossi Nostr shown below. But first a little story for those that don’t get over to the CHOPTAG forum.

My wife and I took a trip to Italy a few weeks back and yes, I did smuggle a few tomato seeds home in my suitcase. I scooped up what appeared to be some San Marzano seeds from my dinner plate one night while in Florence. Then we went to a COOP Market in Sienna (like a Sam’s Club or Costco with a full grocery). We asked a few folks if we needed to be a member and they said ‘yes’ but we didn’t let that stop us. I found some nice tomatoes down the produce isle. Picked out a ‘Rossi Nostr’ and a ‘Canestrino’ and headed for the register. Found out I was supposed to weigh them before I got there. I shrugged my shoulders. The cashier just stared at us with a disgusted look and headed off to the scales. When he came back he said something in Italian (I think he was asking for our membership card). I just said ‘no capire’. He kind of grunted and said ‘one Euro’. I handed him a 1 Euro coin, said ‘Grazie’ and we headed for the exit. I think he was muttering ‘stupid Americans’ as we walked out the door. So, I’ll plant a couple of seeds of each next year and see what I get.

I found information on the Canestrino but can’t find anything on the Rossi Nostr. You can see from the photos what it looks like so if you know anything about it please let me hear from you.

Thanks,

[carolyn137]

Jerry, I didn't find any listing in the current SSE Yearbook and nada via Google.

But I'm wondering if it might be a generic name.

Rossi is a huge Italian tomato processing firm and if it were nostra instead of your nostr, it would mean, I think, our version of Rossi's paste tomato, or similar.

What you show is very ribbed and oblate and reminds me of the many Costolutos that are found in Italy, costoluto meaning just ribbed, and the various costolutos named for the city or what ever from whence thy came such as Costoluto Fiorentino, Colstoluto genovese, etc.

Unless someone comes up with more specific info maybe my guess might be at least halfway true.

[Andrey_BY]

Rossi is one of the most popular surenames in Italy as far as I know the same way as Smith in England or Ivanov in Russia

[JerryL]

Thanks for the input Carolyn, Andrey. I didn’t find it in any of my SSE catalogs either. The name we wrote down was what they had hand written on a sign hanging above them in the store. For all I know the person who printed the sign forgot to add the ‘a’.

As I was seeding it in our hotel room I tasted it and I’m not sure it will ever become a mainstay in my garden. I’ll grow it out next year and keep it as a souvenir of our trip.

I did find Canestrino in the SSE catalog. Actually I found three listings, Canestrino, Canestrino I and Canestrino II. Of course I’m not sure if I even have one of those. I might have Canestrino IV. Again, I’ll grow it and see what I get.