Best box of enormous 'huevo de toro' tomatoes sell for a record-breaking 6,000 euros, that's no bull

The fact that the Parque San Agustín had been packed since mid-morning only meant one thing: it was a big day for Coín. August 15 had dawned in the Malaga province municipality with the annual Guadalhorce valley market garden contest.

One of the stars of the show, known for its size, aroma and texture, among a long list of qualities, the 'huevo de toro' (bull's ball) tomato celebrates its most important date on the calendar every year on the same date.

This is the great tasting-auction in which not only the best batch of this product is chosen by a professional jury, but also its price is chosen on the basis of the bids made by the public. This year was not going to be any different.

The best lot of the year 2024 belonged to the family of Loli Mena and José Guerrero and cost 6,000 euros, an all-time record at the Coín auction, whose winning bidder was Pepe Cobos, from the Bodegas El Pimpi restaurant in Malaga.

The winning farmers are originally from Coín and have been growing the tomato variety for more than 60 years, which has made them a reference point in the market garden sector. It is not the first time they have won the prize, but it is one of the most special considering the conditions in which the professional growers find themselves, marked by the drought crisis and the lack of water.

"For us this is a dream and a source of pride. This year we have planted around 600 plants, producing a total of around 5,000 kilos. This is very special for us, as we make our living from tomatoes and other seasonal crops," Mena told SUR with the prize in hand once the auction was over.

This year the event was supported by the well-known Malaga naturalist, Manuel Calvo, a standard bearer in the fight against climate change and disseminator of the history and culture of dogs in the world, through his programme Desafío Ártico and Aventura Trashumante (Arctic Challenge and Transhuman Adventure).

The day began as it does every year, with the arrival of boxes of tomatoes of all sizes. The jury arrived mid-morning, made up of ten prestigious members of the world of gastronomy and two people from the general public. These included Álvaro Muñoz, director of Lumen Proyectos Gastronómicos; Cristina Cánovas from the Palodú restaurant, Pachu Barrera from Restaurante Taró; Manu Balanzino, gastronomic advisor; Flores Postigo from Asador Don Joaquín; Manolo Tornay from the gastronomic academy of Malaga; Elia Beret from H10 Croma Málaga, and Esther Luque from Cadena SER radio.

The route through the park alternated between the presence of fruit and vegetable products, some of gigantic sizes, including a pumpkin weighing 220 kilos that not even four people were able to lift.

Daniel García, from the El Naranjá market garden, has won the first prize for the last two years and he has participated once again this year, as well as selling his tomatoes to those who asked for them. It started three years ago as a hobby and now the bull's ball tomato has become a member of his family.

"In 2022, we planted 250 plants and this year we have already planted 1,500 plants, which means around 8,000 kilos," said the farmer, who explained that this competition is not only demanding for those who grow tomatoes, but also a way of growing in the trade and making himself known. "The day after winning, many people called me to buy my tomatoes," adds García, who has his farm in Alhaurín el Grande and is clear that this profession does not understand weekends or public holidays, as it has to be worked on a daily basis.

The lack of water has affected the production of the market gardens in Malaga, as the farmers only have nine hectometres available for irrigation throughout the summer. However, in cases such as that of the García family, having their own water well has become the best incentive to get their production going, which, in his own words, "has gone even better than in other years".

Next to his stall was that of the Miguel González Salas La Hilita farm in Coín, where for the last ten years they have been cultivating the Huevo de Toro tomato. "Today we have brought 80 boxes, a total of 500 kilos. The campaign is going very well. We have to take advantage of this season, which is the best for tomatoes, and now we only have these boxes left," Santi González said, pointing to the few boxes that remained to be sold an hour before the prize-giving ceremony of the horticultural competition began, awarding prizes to the youngest market gardener, the grandmother grandson duo, the best organic fruit and the best vegetable, among others.

"The countryside must continue to be cultivated and passed on to the new generations," said the presenter of the event, while awarding the different prizes. Once the winners of the tasting had been announced, with Loli Mena in first place, La Huerta de Carmen in second place, and José Mena in third place, the most eagerly awaited moment of the annual event took place: the auction. Starting with the initial figure of 300 euros, the amount continued to rise as those present raised their hands to continue bidding and give a price to the best lot. While the previous record was 4,000 euros, yesterday Coín experienced a historic moment when Pepe Cobos raised his hand to reach the highest figure to date, buying the winning box for 6,000 euros. This money is donated to different entities: on this occasion to the Hermandad de la Fuensanta de Coín, the Huellas Terapéuticas association and the Fibromyalgia association of Coín, whose workers have been very grateful for Cobos' commitment once again this year.

The event is organised by the bull's ball tomato association, the Guadalhorce valley fruit and vegetable association and Coín town hall, along with the support of the provincial authority and its promotional brand Sabor a Málaga.