Quick Summary of Tolstyi Monakh (Fat Monk)
- 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Biotekhnika” seed company. The name humorously translates to “Fat Monk”.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 ft) in height.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, uniquely shaped fruits described as “truncated-square” or blocky. They are quite large for this shape, weighing around 200-220 g (7-7.7 oz). The flesh is sugary, dense, and practically juice-free.
- 👅 Flavor & Culinary Use: Excellent dessert flavor. Because the flesh is so incredibly thick and dry (low moisture), it is highly prized for making thick tomato sauces, paste, or for hollowing out and stuffing.
- ⏳ Yield & Maturity: Officially classified as a mid-season variety (100-110 days), but this grower noted it was the very first indeterminate variety to ripen in her garden. It is a heavy yielder, typically producing 4-5 heavy clusters (each holding 5-6 fruits) per vine.
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Seeds from “Biotekhnika”. Manufacturer’s description:
Indeterminate type. Mid-season (period from germination to ripening 100-110 days) variety. Plants are tall (1.5-2 m / 5-6.5 ft). The fruits have a truncated-square shape, large (weighing 200-220 g / 7-7.7 oz), bright red, meaty. Sugary flesh, practically without juice. Excellent dessert taste. It features good yield (4-5 clusters of 5-6 fruits on the plant). Intended for fresh consumption and stuffing.
I agree with the description, low-juice for thick sauces and stuffing. For me in 2024, it turned out to be the earliest of the indeterminates. Height about 1.5 meters (5 ft), very productive.
