Tomato paste is a thick paste made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content, straining out the seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate.

Our production plant in the San Marzano region of Campania, Italy sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. The rich volcanic soil and temperate climate of the area make San Marzano tomatoes retain the world-renowned flavor that makes them so special.

Cento is the only United States brand that has its production facility in the Sarnese Nocerino area of Italy, literally in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. The rich volcanic soil, high water table and ideal Mediterranean microclimate all combine to make San Marzano tomatoes the premier choice for any recipe.

Our Tomato Paste This paste is made from fresh Italian tomatoes, cooked down to create a super dense and rich flavor, and packed in a convenient BPA free, resealable tube. This product contains simple ingredients, (tomato paste and salt), and no citric acid.

A food paste is a semi-liquid colloidal suspension, emulsion, or aggregation used in food preparation or eaten directly as a spread. Pastes are often spicy or aromatic, prepared well in advance of actual usage, and are often made into a preserve for future use.

Two basic attributes of tomato paste and other tomato-juice products are flow behaviour (mainly controlled by pectins) and colour (mainly due to lycopene). The combined action of two of the pectic enzymes in tomato, PME and PG, can degrade pectins and provoke a loss of consistency (lower apparent viscosity).

Italian Cento Fine Foods was founded in Philadelphia in 1963 as a distributor of ethnic Italian food specialties servicing the surrounding tri-state area.

Cento Products From our renowned Certified San Marzano Tomatoes to our roasted peppers, vinegars and extra virgin olive oils, Cento offers premium products to suit all culinary needs. Taste the difference quality makes and see why you can “Trust Your Family With Our Family”.

Cento Certified San Marzano Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes are grown in the Sarnese Nocerino area of Italy, renowned for its especially fruitful soil as a result of its proximity to Mount Vesuvius. Our San Marzano tomatoes are certified by an independent third-party agency to ensure their superior quality.

Founder Alfred Ciccotelli, Sr., developed a passion for the grocery business working at his father's small store in South Philadelphia: today, his son Rick and granddaughter Gina oversee the company's over 1,000 products and eight proprietary brands.

From the Latin word for “patchwork,” the cento (or collage poem) is a poetic form composed entirely of lines from poems by other poets. Early examples can be found in the work of Homer and Virgil. Modern centos are often witty, creating irony or humor from the juxtaposition of images and ideas.

Cento Organic Certified San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes are grown and processed in Italy without the use of any pesticides or food additives.