Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson is a heirloom beefsteak tomato notable for setting fruit even in cooler temperatures, letting it crop in climates too cold for many tomatoes. Tasters describe the flesh as very flavorful, earthy, and balanced between good acid and sweetness, with a dusky-red, juicy texture that reads as dense, smoky, and tangy. Its skin and flesh are not truly black but range through dusky brown, deep purple, smoky mahogany, and bluish-brown, with higher acid and mineral content drawing out the darkest shades. Compared with other purple varieties, its fruit shows more even ripening across the shoulders, and the plant's regular-leaf foliage carries large, maroon-black-shouldered fruit that stays sweet and juicy.

With its dense, juicy flesh, Paul Robeson is grown mainly for slicing, making it a favorite for sandwiches and salads.

At Carmel, California's Tomato Fest, tasters ranked Paul Robeson first for flavor two years running, in 2001 and again in 2002. However, the fruit can crack under uneven soil moisture, so consistent watering without excess is recommended to keep the skin intact.

Paul Robeson was developed sometime in the 20th century in Soviet Siberia, likely as a state-developed or state-endorsed variety suited to the region's harsh growing climate. It was named for Paul Robeson, the Black American performer and civil-rights campaigner who worked as an actor and singer, whose defiant stance during the McCarthy era made him a hero in the Soviet Union. The naming appears tied to Robeson's award of the Stalin Peace Prize in December 1952, honoring him through the tomato's name.