So named because the seed is originally from the Himalaya Mountains. Large, deep red tomatoes weigh about 12 oz. and have a high-quality, intense tomato flavor. Plants bear well even in cooler weather and mature earlier than most large-fruited types. These 8 to 12 ounce round, pinkish-purple colored tomatoes are so named because their shape is so perfectly smooth and unblemished. However, just as noteworthy is their luscious, sweet yet tangy flavor that is the real reason for growing this variety.
Vigorous plants have potato-leaved foliage and set very large crops.
This cross between Brandywine and Rutgers produces good yields of 6 to 10 oz. Disease and crack resistance are inherited from Rutgers, and the tomato's taste and texture is more like that of Brandywine. Its history suggests that it originated in Italy and was used in the California canning industry. It bears large harvests of smooth, flattened, intensely red tomatoes which are absolutely delicious. They weigh from 8 to 10 oz. and have a very good, rich and complex flavor.