Hands-down one of the most revered and addictive black tomatoes ever grown — it has a genuine cult following among seed collectors and connoisseurs who simply can’t get enough of its extraordinary flavor.
 
Small to medium beefsteak-sized fruits (6–12 oz) are mostly round, occasionally lightly flattened, with iconic brick-red/dusky-purple skin (referred to as brown-skinned), dark olive-green shoulders, and deep crimson, smoky-sweet flesh. The flavor is legendary: intensely rich, sweet, complex, and perfectly balanced — many rank it in the all-time top 5 tomatoes, period.
 
Like most Russian varieties, it was selected in cold climates and sets fruit reliably at lower temperatures, making it an outstanding choice for cooler, shorter-season regions.
 
HISTORY: This Russian heirloom was named in honor of the great American singer, actor, and civil-rights activist Paul Robeson (1898–1976), who was hugely admired in the Soviet Union for his support of socialist causes and his performances of Russian folk songs. Introduced to Western gardeners in the 1990s by Marina Danilenko and the Vavilov Institute, it has since become a global heirloom royalty.
 
Sold as a single plant in a 3.5" pot.