Lucie Monk Carter
Louisianans take their tomatoes seriously. The words “Creole tomato” evoke imagery of a very particular thing: a knobby, vine-ripened, uniquely-colored tomato grown in South Louisiana’s alluvial soil, sprinkled with Mississippi River water, and brushed by hot, late spring air. Some call that Louisiana’s own “tomato terroir.” Everyone calls Creole tomatoes delicious.
But what does it mean to be a true Creole Tomato? Turns out, it is a juicy subject.
Over the past several decades, the common perception of local tomato-lovers is either that the special qualities of the Creole tomato are unique to a specific cultivar, or that any homegrown, vine-ripened tomato is a “Creole Tomato”. Back in the late 1960s Louisiana State University in fact released a hardy tomato cultivar called ‘Creole’. But LSU’s was not necessarily the same tomato that Louisiana farmers were referring to when they said they were growing Creole tomatoes; in fact, it is more likely that they were growing the “Celebrity” cultivar.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture has not regulated how the name “Creole Tomato” is used, and it’s well-accepted that any vine-ripened tomato grown in Louisiana can be called “Creole.” Home gardeners can easily find and grow tomato plant varieties marketed as “Creole”.
Technically speaking, though, Creole tomatoes, bolstered as they are by the aforementioned “soil chemistry,” are grown in St. Bernard or Plaquemines Parishes, just down river from New Orleans.
[Read Lorin Gaudin's story about the Kugelhopf cake's journey to Louisiana here.]
“Other tomatoes grown around the state might be tasty, but only tomatoes grown in soil south of Lake Pontchartrain are true Creole tomatoes,” said long-time farmer Ben Becnel. Owner (with his dad) of Ben and Ben Becnel farmstand in Plaquemines Parish, Ben (the younger) said that traditional Creole tomato season “...depends on when it freezes. One year we were growing into February! Usually the season runs from May to January.”
“Other tomatoes grown around the state might be tasty, but only tomatoes grown in soil south of Lake Pontchartrain are true Creole tomatoes,” said long-time farmer Ben Becnel.
As for the tomato’s appearance and color—well, it’s no secret that appearances can be deceiving. Often, true Creole tomatoes are gnarled, with a strange green-red color that some might even call “ugly.” Nonetheless, these are heavenly tomatoes, with a sunny-sweet, slightly acidic flavor. “It’s all about the inside, that’s where the flavor is,” said Ben. “Unless the skin of the tomato is broken open, it doesn’t much matter what the outside looks like.”
He is particular though, insisting that the most critical thing to verify is that the tomato actually comes from South Louisiana, below the Lake. Good naturedly, Ben quipped, “Tomatoes from Lafayette or Slidell are fine, but they are not Creole tomatoes.”
[Find a recipe for roasted tomato soup here.]
South Louisiana farmers have long called their tomato “Creole” to culturally distinguish it from other tomatoes. These rich, full-flavored tomatoes are grown in alluvial soil (a sandy, silty or clay textured soil that has been deposited by rivers, filled with organic matter mixed in as it moved down river), and vine-ripened because they weren’t being moved long distances.
In South Louisiana, uttering the words “Creole Tomato” is enough to evoke powerful memories, stories, gardening tips, recipes, and rumbling stomachs. In truth it’s about flavor. A beautiful ripe “Creole” tomato is magical, whether eaten like an apple over the sink; stacked with thick slices of sweet onion and a sharp remoulade sauce; or as a simple sandwich. Myths and science aside, there is no denying the exquisite flavor of a South Louisiana-grown Creole tomato, whatever variety.
In South Louisiana, uttering the words “Creole Tomato” is enough to evoke powerful memories, stories, gardening tips, recipes, and rumbling stomachs. In truth it’s about flavor.
The thirty-fifth French Market Creole Tomato Fest is planned for July 3, 2021 as a hybrid, one-day event with both in-person and virtual activities. If trekking to a fest is doable, this one is typically filled with tastings, chef cooking demos, and of course boxes and boxes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parish Creole tomatoes. Those not yet festing and not into growing-their-own, should have no problem finding Creole tomatoes at local supermarkets and roadside stands. Restaurants get in on the game too, always quick to craft clever savory dishes, salads and even sorbets, incorporating Creole tomatoes.
[Find a recipe for Southern tomato pie, also from our June 2021 issue, here.]
Versions of this story were originally published on WhereTraveler.com and Gonola.com.
