Fresh, sun-dried or puréed, tomatoes lie at the heart of Italian cooking. The combination of tomatoes, pasta and parmesan cheese make the beginning to many, many Italian dishes.
Fresh tomatoes are grown in many areas and the taste of the tomatoes is just as varied. Things like soil, temperature during ripening and of course which seeds are used, are the basis for the taste of the tomatoes.
Here’s a great site for understanding tomatoes a little better!