Publication of the amended product specification following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

(2021/C 168/05)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

The application for approval of this minor amendment can be consulted in the Commission’s eAmbrosia database.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A TRADITIONAL SPECIALITY GUARANTEED

‘SKLANDRAUSIS’

EU No: TSG-LV-0914-AM01 – 26 August 2020

Member State: Latvia

1 Name(s) to be registered

‘Sklandrausis’

2. Type of product [as in Annex XI]

Class 2.24. bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares

3. Grounds for registration

3.1. Whether the product:

☒ results from a mode of production, processing or composition corresponding to traditional practice for that product or foodstuff;

☐ is produced from raw materials or ingredients that are those traditionally used.

The distinctiveness of the product stems from its method of preparation, recipe, shape and appearance. ‘Sklandrausis’ is a pie that is circular in shape. Its base is made of unleavened rye-flour dough and it has upturned edges reminiscent of a fence which give it its specific shape and from which its name, ‘Sklandrausis’, is derived. It is rather large, between 8 and 14 cm in diameter. The top of a finished ‘Sklandrausis’ has a typical yellowy orange carrot colour, whereas a cross-section reveals the potato forming the bottom layer of filling.

The very form of the ‘Sklandrausis’ is significant and symbolic. Foods that are circular in shape are usually eaten at the time of the winter and summer solstices as symbolic representations of the sun. The ‘Sklandrausis’ is also associated with solar symbolism, both because of its round shape and because of the yellowy orange top layer of carrot. The ‘Sklandrausis’ embodied the creative energy of the sun at solstice feasts.

3.2. Whether the name:

☒ has been traditionally used to refer to the specific product;

☐ identifies the traditional character or specific character of the product.

The word sklandrausis appears in Volume Three of Latviešu valodas vārdnīca [‘Dictionary of the Latvian Language’] compiled by K. Mīlenbahs and J. Endzelīns (1927-29) along with the definition ‘a round pie with a filling’.

The word is a compound of skland- and rausis. The word rausis (‘pie’) is derived from the verb raust (‘to rake over or strew’). This suggests that the pies were baked in a primitive fashion, by raking hot hearth ash or oven coals over them. Sklanda is an ancient word derived from the Couronian language (proto-language of the ancestors of the modern-day Courlanders, inhabitants of western Latvia) which means ‘fence-post, wattle fence’ or ‘slope, declivity’; in this case, it refers to the upturned edges of the pie’s crust. (Karulis, K (1992), Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdīca [‘Etymological dictionary of the Latvian language’], Vol. II). There is a special type of fence in Courland known as a sklandu žogs.

4. Description:

4.1. Description of the product to which the name under point 1 applies, including its main physical, chemical, microbiological or organoleptic characteristics showing the product’s specific character (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

‘Sklandrausis’ is a round pie, 8-14 cm in diameter. The base of a ‘Sklandrausis’ is made of firm rye-flour dough rolled out to a thickness of 2-3 mm. Discs, which form the bases of the pies, are cut or pressed out of the rolled-out dough and their edges are folded upwards. The base of the ‘Sklandrausis’ is filled with layers of boiled potato and carrot filling in a ratio of 1:2 to 1:1. The potato is put in first and the carrot is placed on top. The finished ‘Sklandrausis’ is between 1,5 and 2,5 cm thick. The base of the ‘Sklandrausis’ is firm and well-baked, and the filling is porous. Typically, it has a yellowy orange carrot colour. A layer of cream may be spread over the surface, or it may be sprinkled with cinnamon or caraway seeds. ‘Sklandrausis’ may range in taste from sweetish to very sweet. Although the base leaves the unmistakable taste of bread in the mouth, the taste of carrots predominates.

‘Sklandrausis’ is eaten cold with tea or milk.

4.2. Description of the production method of the product to which the name under point 1 applies that the producers must follow including, where appropriate, the nature and characteristics of the raw materials or ingredients used, and the method by which the product is prepared (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

Preparation of ‘Sklandrausis’:

A total of 15-20 ‘Sklandrausis’ products can be made from the quantity of ingredients specified below.

Preparation of the dough base

600 g rye flour and/or rye meal

60 g margarine or butter

250-330 g of water

a pinch of salt, to taste

A little wheat flour (40-60 g for the quantity of rye meal and/or light rye flour referred to above) may be added to the dough to make it easier to roll out.

The flour is mixed with hot water to which margarine or butter and salt have been added. The dough must be firm and easy to roll out but not too hard. The finished dough is rolled out to a thickness of about 1,5-2,5 mm, and then discs of 10-15 cm in diameter are rolled, pressed or cut out of it. The discs, with their edges folded upwards to a height of 1,5-2 cm, are placed on a greased tray. The edges must be substantial and stand stiffly upright.

Preparation of the filling

Preparation of the potato filling:

Ingredients:

0,8-1 kg potatoes

a pinch of salt, to taste

The potatoes are boiled, then mashed (grated) until smooth and salt is added to taste while it is being kneaded. 150-200 g of melted butter or 50-100 g of cream and, if desired, 1-3 eggs may be mixed into the potato, and caraway seeds may be used to add flavour. Some of the boiled potato may be substituted with unboiled grated potatoes with the excess fluid squeezed out of them.

Preparation of the carrot filling:

Ingredients:

1,5-2 kg carrots

100-300 g sugar

The carrots are boiled, then mashed until smooth, and sugar is added while the mass is being kneaded. 200-300 g of sour cream or, if desired, 1-2 eggs may be mixed into the mashed carrot. The carrot filling may also be made using unboiled grated carrots with the excess fluid squeezed out of them.

In order to get a denser pie filling, semolina may be added to the carrot and potato while the filling is being prepared.

Filling and baking the ‘Sklandrausis’

The potato is spread over the rye-flour pastry base, and the carrot is placed on top. The ratio of potato to carrot in the filling is between 1:2 and 1:1. The finished ‘Sklandrausis’ (fresh or frozen) is baked in an oven at a high temperature (220-250°C) until the base is dry (i.e. for 15-30 minutes).

Coating

200-300 g sour cream

200-300 g sugar

The finished ‘Sklandrausis’ is coated with a mixture of sour cream and sprinkled with sugar. Cinnamon or caraway seeds may be sprinkled over it for added flavour.

Cream, sugar and egg mixture may also be used in the coating. Making this coating involves mixing the aforementioned amounts of sour cream and sugar with two eggs. In this case, the ‘Sklandrausis’ needs to be baked in a hot oven for at least a further 5 minutes.

Shelf life and storage

Temperature of storage Product preparation stage Shelf life + 2 to + 6 °C Finished ‘Sklandrausis’ 3 days -18 °C Semi-finished ‘Sklandrausis’ 12 months

4.3. Description of the key elements establishing the product’s traditional character (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

The ‘Sklandrausis’ can be considered a Latvian national dish, as the traditions associated with preparing and eating it stretch back into the distant past. This is evidenced by its significance at ancient Latvian seasonal festivals and celebrations. The skill of making ‘Sklandrausis’ has been passed down from generation to generation.

The product has a long history. Its precursor was a simple pie made with unleavened rye dough and baked in the embers of an open fire - a pie with a filling. The existence of pie filling is attested to by the name of the product, which refers to the pie’s upturned edges (žogs or sklanda, i.e. a fence). These edges served to prevent the filling from spilling out into the fire.

There is extant documentary evidence that chopped carrots were used as ‘Sklandrausis’ filling as far back as the time of the Duchy of Courland (from the 16th to the 18th century). Carrots began to be cultivated in Latvia in the 16th century. Later, following the arrival of potatoes in Latvia in the 17th century, finely chopped (grated) potatoes were also used as a ‘Sklandrausis’ ingredient. Initially potatoes were only consumed by the landed gentry. In the 19th century, potatoes also began to be grown by peasant farmers, rapidly becoming popular and occupying an important place in the national diet.

A reference to the making of ‘Sklandrausis’ in Courland can be found in an article by J. Heniņš, ‘Vārdi, kas nav sastopami Ulmaņa vārdnīcā’ [‘Words not found in Ulmanis’ dictionary’], published in Proceedings No 17 of the Scientific Committee of the Riga Latvian Association in 1914.

Writing on the traditional diet of the Courland Livonians (Lībieši, a collection of articles published in 1994), Linda Dumpe, ethnographer and researcher into Latvian dietary habits, explains that this type of pie deserves special attention, as it is a very ancient type of baked good. ‘Sklandrausis’ is considered a traditional name for a pie as it is widely recognised and used nowadays when talking about Latvian national cuisine (Masiļūne, Ņ. (2004), Latviešu nacionālie ēdieni [‘Latvian national dishes’]). The traditional nature of the ‘Sklandrausis’ is attested to in the works of various authors describing Latvian seasonal traditions. ‘Sklandrausis’ is mentioned as being a dish typical of the Harvest Festival or Jumis. Ancient Latvians celebrated this festival at the time of the autumn solstice to mark the end of the harvest (Auns, O.T. (1993), Latviešu tautas dzīvesziņa [‘The social customs of the Latvian people’]). The ‘Sklandrausis’ was also made and eaten at various other festivals associated with seasonal rituals, such as Easter. Andrejs Štālers (born 1866), a Livonian from Kolka, recalled that various delicacies, including pieces of ‘Sklandrausis’, were handed out following the traditional Easter ritual of singing (Šuvcāne, V.M. (2003), Lībiešu folklora [‘Livonian folklore’]). When recounting the traditions maintained in and around Alsunga at the beginning of the 20th century, Pēteris Upenieks recalled that ‘Sklandrausis’ was made at Christmas time (Balandnieki, 2005).

The recipe for ‘Sklandrausis’ features in almost every cookbook in which Latvian breadmaking traditions are described; for instance, Daudzveidīgā maizīte [‘The many forms of bread’] by breadmaking expert Zigrīda Liepiņa, published in 1993. In the study Mūsu maize. Our daily bread by ethnographer Indra Čekstere, published in 2004, it is stated that, to make a really delicious ‘Sklandrausis’, the ladies of Livonian households use half as many potatoes as carrots and make the carrot filling especially sweet. Finally each ‘Sklandrausis’ is spread with a mixture of cream, sugar and eggs and sprinkled with caraway seeds.

The making of ‘Sklandrausis’ is also mentioned by the philologist, historian and folklorist Kārlis Draviņš in Kurzeme aizgājušos laikos [‘Courland in olden times’], published in 2000. Describing breadmaking traditions in Courland at the beginning of the 20th century, he recalls that the ‘Sklandrausis’ was also baked with a filling contained within a pastry with upturned edges. The filling was made of boiled and mashed potatoes and grated carrots.

The volume Latviešu tautas ēdieni [‘Traditional Latvian cuisine’] (2009) by L. Dumpe, a compilation of material gathered during various ethnographic expeditions, contains a recipe for ‘Sklandrausis’ as recounted by Elza Rozenfelde (born 1919) in Melnsils: ‘They took a lot of effort and stuff to make. They were made with rye flour. They were quite big, as they were baked in an oven. The edges were folded upwards. The dough hardened while cooking.’ She used a potato and carrot mass for the filling, mixing it as required with cream, sugar, eggs, fat and a little flour or semolina, and caraway seeds and cinnamon for added flavour.

Although ‘Sklandrausis’ was made by women in every household, using their creativity and the products they had at home, research and oral accounts nevertheless indicate that preparation of a ‘Sklandrausis’ in a traditional manner is considered to involve unleavened rye-flour dough, with the round base of the ‘Sklandrausis’ being rolled or cut out of this dough, and its edges upturned. A potato and carrot mass is used as the filling, to which the cook may add other ingredients, such as butter, cream, sugar, eggs, semolina, etc. at their discretion.

The traditions associated with making ‘Sklandrausis’ have survived to the present day. The pies tend to be baked at home, most often in Courland. The ‘Sklandrausis’ has gained popularity as the result of being one of various products offered to tourists. Guests visiting farmsteads or places where ‘Sklandrausis’ is manufactured are given the opportunity to observe how it is made and to taste it for themselves.

(1) OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.