For those of us used to thinking of the Greek island of Santorini solely as a vacation paradise, it may come as a surprise to discover that before the tourists there were tomatoes. And now there’s a museum commemorating the island’s past as a major producer of high-quality tomato paste.
The tomato itself, Tomataki Santorini, is a thick-skinned sweet slightly-oversized cherry tomato that is said to draw its special flavor from the island’s volcanic soil and low moisture. The canning industry developed in the late 1800s, and died out by the mid-1960s when tourism came to thrive, and more efficient plants elsewhere took on the canning work.
But now, the Tomato Industrial Museum, built in the building that formerly housed one of the plants, shows the history of the industry and the process, and even sells special tomato paste in its gift shop. The Santorini factories were all powered by coal or oil engines; electricity didn’t reach most areas until after the factories were gone.
The Washington Post travel section has a fascinating full article on the history and the culture of Santorini’s tomato industry; to read it all, click HERE
Photo: Oia, Santorini at sunset (Karol M / Wikimedia)
