Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2020/C 340/10)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘ESCAVÈCHE DE CHIMAY’

EU No: PGI-BE-02359 — 31.3.2017

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name(s)

‘Escavèche de Chimay’

2. Member State or third country

Belgium

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.7. Fresh fish, molluscs and crustaceans and products derived therefrom

3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is a cold preparation of cooked fish coated in a jellied, vinegar sauce containing onions.

The vinegar is made by acetification of wine or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin. The acetic acid content is between 6 % and 8 % by weight. Several different vinegars may be mixed together.

The onions may either be raw or cooked (fried, stewed or blanched) and may be incorporated into the sauce or added when the product is assembled.

Herbs, spices or condiment may be incorporated into the sauce, e.g. garlic, chives, lemon, clove, coriander, shallots, tarragon, fennel, juniper, bay leaf, nutmeg, mace, oregano, parsley, Espelette pepper, pepper, rosemary, sage, salt, thyme and tomato. These ingredients may impart colour to the sauce and it may be possible to smell or taste them.

All authorised ingredients are itemised in a positive list.

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ has the following characteristics:

— fish accounts for between 40 % and 50 % of the weight of the finished product. The size of the fish pieces depends on the species of fish and the sales format. In general, there are three formats distinguished according to the size of the fish pieces: pieces of between 80 g and 90 g for sale to the public, pieces of between 120 g and 130 g for sale to caterers and restaurants, and bite-sized portions of between 5 g and 6 g.

— the sauce accounts for between 50 % and 60 % of the weight of the finished product. Vinegar constitutes between 20 % and 30 % of the weight of the sauce.

— the pH is not more than 4,9. It is measured once the product has been cooled (in the sauce and the fish) no less than 96 hours after it has been packaged.

— the product has a shelf-life of 12 weeks (maximum duration established in accordance with food safety legislation, but potentially much longer).

In organoleptic terms, ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ may be defined as follows:

— Appearance: — Sauce: smooth, satiny, consistent. The sauce may take on various colours (white, brown or red) depending on how it is prepared and the ingredients used. — Fish: the fish must be in the form of whole pieces.

— Smell: predominantly of vinegar, potentially accompanied by lemon. A smell of fish — which may, at times, be subtle — is identifiable in the smell, as is the smell of spice or onion. Overall, the product has a refreshing smell.

— Texture: — Sauce: creamy to highly gelatinous. There are always onion pieces, varying in quantity. The sauce may also contain lemon pieces. It has a smooth texture on the palate and does not feel at all floury, fatty or lumpy (well-thickened sauce). — Fish: firm. The fish is not dry and melts in the mouth.

— Taste, aroma, flavour: — Sauce: there is a certain acidity to it. It has a distinct vinegar or lemon aroma. It always tastes of fish but to varying degrees of intensity. The same is true of its onion flavour. There is no hint of flour in its taste. — Fish: it may have a salty taste. The aroma and acidity of the vinegar varies from subtle to very subtle. Onion or peppery flavours may also come through.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The raw material is fish.

The following freshwater fish are authorised:

— Eel (Anguilla anguilla),

— Common barbel (Barbus barbus),

— Pike (Esox lucius),

— Common roach (Rutilus rutilus),

— Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis),

— Perch (Perca fluviatilis),

— Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus),

— Zander (Sander lucioperca),

— Trout (Salmo trutta sp. and Oncorhynchus sp.).

The following saltwater fish are authorised:

— Eel (Anguilla anguilla),

— Conger (Conger conger),

— Red gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus),

— Angler (Lophius piscatorius),

— John Dory (Zeus faber),

— Species belonging to the genus Mustelus, Scyliorhinus or Squalus.

The saltwater fish are sourced from sustainable fisheries based on the following three principles:

— sound management of fish stocks,

— minimum impact on flora and fauna,

— efficient resource management in order to safeguard livelihoods.

3.4. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The following steps in production take place in the identified geographical area:

— preparation of the sauce,

— cooking of the fish,

— cooling of the fish (optional),

— assembly, including the following steps: — placing of the fish pieces in the container in which the product will be sold, — addition of onions if not incorporated into the sauce during its preparation, — coating in sauce.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The product is packaged in the defined area as this is an integral part of the production process. Assembly and packaging are carried out together and must use the final container. If and when the fish has been cooled, the hot sauce is poured evenly onto the fish pieces (along with the onion pieces if they have not been incorporated into the sauce during preparation), without any air being added. This step helps to ensure the microbiological stability of the product. After assembly, the container is immediately sealed and placed in a cold store where the temperature is 7°C or less. The different components balance out and the entire product sets in its container so it cannot be repackaged.

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ may only be packaged in pots.

3.6. Specific rules concerning the labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The diameter of the European PGI logo may be reduced to 10 mm if the labelling officer explicitly requests this from the independent certifying body. Such an exemption must be requested in writing and granted with the agreement of the competent authority who will decide whether the format of the labelling intended for the product warrants such a request.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area defined for the production of ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ comprises the following communes:

— Province of Namur: Cerfontaine, Philippeville, Doische, Couvin, Viroinval,

— Province of Hainaut: Sivry-Rance, Froidchapelle, Momignies, Chimay. Figure 1. Geographical area of production for ‘Escavèche de Chimay’, located in Wallonia

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ and its geographical origin can be found in its specific characteristics and its reputation.

Specific characteristics of the geographical area

The geographical area associated with the name ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ covers the south of the region between the Sambre and the Meuse. The area is mostly covered by forest and has many small watercourses running through it. Due to these two specific natural conditions, metal-working industries developed in the region. From the 15th century onwards, a number of forges and furnaces set up business in the area. Here they were able to find the fuel (charcoal) and energy (hydropower) they needed to operate. In order to maximise these resources, the owners of the forges and furnaces built a hydraulic network and created reservoirs for this purpose, some of which formed actual lakes or ponds richly stocked with fish.

Nearby, in the region of Charleroi (in particular in Bouffioulx, Châtelet and Pont-de-Loup), a few dozen kilometres away from the region of Chimay, the properties of the soil led to the emergence of a pottery industry from the 16th century. It became known in part for the production of stoneware pots used mostly for holding liquids, cooking, storing and preserving food.

The inhabitants of the region of Chimay between the Sambre and the Meuse developed their very own way of preserving fish in pots. They cook the fish then prepare a starchy vinegar sauce, adding onions, spice, seasoning and, sometimes, lemon. They then put them together, placing the fish in the container first of all, then pouring the hot sauce on top. Whilst still liquid, the sauce coats all the pieces of fish and forces the air out of the pot. This prevents mould from forming. Immediately afterwards, the pot is hermetically sealed and the preparation is chilled so that the sauce sets.

Today, producers of ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ are still located in the vicinity of the old forges in Macquenoise, Virelles and Nismes.

Specific characteristics of the product

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is a cold preparation of cooked fish coated in a jellied, vinegar sauce containing onions.

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is packaged in pots.

For a fish-based product which does not undergo heat treatment, ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ has a particularly long shelf-life. Sterilisation, pasteurisation and similar methods of preservation may not be used.

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is not made in the same way as products which existed in the 19th century in the south of France in which oil was used as the preferred means of preserving sardines. ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ follows a different tradition in which fish is preserved in vinegar using a vinegar sauce with a smooth, gelatinous texture, distinguishing it from French escabeche sauce.

Causal link

Influence of the specific characteristics of the geographical area on the characteristics of the product

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is linked to the local area through the specific characteristics of the environment in and around Chimay. The forges and furnaces which were established in the Chimay region have had a considerable impact on this environment since the 15th century. Many artificial lakes and ponds were created to serve the needs of the metal-working industry and are still visible to this day. The metal-working industry went into decline at the end of the 18th century, completely disappearing by the mid-19th century. The ponds left behind were converted into fishing areas. These water bodies were extremely well-stocked with fish, so much so that when they were cleaned out, the owners found themselves with more fish than they were immediately able to eat. Consequently, the local inhabitants devised a way of preserving the fish. After the Second World War, saltwater fish also came to be used in ‘Escavèche de Chimay’.

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ may only be packaged in pots. Historically, this came about because of the pottery studios in the region of Charleroi. These firms became known for their production of stoneware pots used for storing and preserving ‘Escavèche de Chimay’. A new utensil coming in various shapes thus emerged: the pot à escavèche. The production of these pots is celebrated at the Musée de la Grange aux Potiers in Bouffioulx. Today, glass or plastic pots are also used.

The specific character of the jellified, vinegar sauce in combination with the functional properties of the pot allow the cooked fish to be kept for several weeks without heat treatment. The longer the product is kept, the milder it becomes. This method of preserving fish is specific to Chimay.

Reputation of the name linking it to its place of origin

‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is considered a traditional regional dish. It became appreciated and renowned from the beginning of the 20th century. During that time, the dish was a real commercial selling-point for operators in the local tourist industry. For example, the Chimay, centre de tourisme guidebook (1933) states that in the local area ‘Good restaurants can be found which serve escavèche, as enjoyed by all food lovers’. Furthermore, a number of hotel-restaurants in and around Chimay advertised ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ on postcards and in advertisements circulating throughout Belgium. These included Hôtel de l’Univers de Chimay (1939), Hôtel Mon Rêve de Robechies (ca 1920, 1933 and 2013) and the Restaurant du Lac, later known as Chez Edgard et Madeleine (ca 1900, 1933 and 2013). To this day, the latter two restaurants still have ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ on their menus.

As regards the confirmed and regular use of the name ‘Escavèche de Chimay’, the first explicit references to it date back to the second half of the 20th century. The name is used in an issue of the magazine Vie féminine from 1958, and in the books À la wallonne… mijotons (1978) by R. Dedouaire, Guide gourmand (1985) by É. Gérard, J.-M. Paquot and R. Jasselette, and La cuisine traditionnelle belge (2010) by M. Declercq.

Currently, ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is championed by tourist offices and by the Jurade princière de Chimay, a fine-dining club founded in 1986.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of the Regulation)

https://agriculture.wallonie.be/aop-igp-stg

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.