Originally Posted by rhiannonwales

I think that the biggest difference is that most Americans totally overcook tomato sauce of all kinds but especially marinara. Marinara is supposed to be a lightly cooked sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, and basil. It is supposed to taste fresh. When you cook tomatoes too much, it can bring out the natural acids in them and turn the taste of them sour. Which is why most commercially prepared sauces have sugar or corn syrup in them, to cover the sour taste. Another reason for taste difference could be the use of dry herbs, whereas in Europe it is more common to use fresh. Dry herbs are added at the beginning of cooking so that the moisture can bring out the flavors over time, but the flavor is adulterated by the oxidation process. When cooking with fresh herbs, you don't add them until its almost done to preserve the natural flavors.

I can't stand Marinara sauce unless its been cooked by me or a family member. I am second generation Italian on my fathers side, and we come from Naples, which is where Marinara sauce comes from.