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

(2022/C 87/06)

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

‘Lenticchia di Onano’

EU No: PGI-IT-02651 – 15 December 2020

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Lenticchia di Onano’

2. Member State or third country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product [listed in Annex XI]

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

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

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ PGI refers to the seed of the species Lens esculenta M. belonging to the cultivars ‘Lenticchia di Onano’, a local ecotype, and Eston, and is grown in the area defined in point 4. It has the following characteristics when released for consumption:

Physical characteristics

Shape: flattened lens-shape

Size: diameter of 3-8 mm

Colour: light brown, greenish varying in its intensity and degree of mottling (1-95 %) on the surface

Hull: smooth and thin

Average weight of 100 seeds: at least 4,50 g

Organoleptic characteristics

It does not need to be left to soak before cooking and, even after cooking, its seed remains intact with a velvety, fine and creamy paste.

Chemical characteristics

Total sugars: less than 1,5 %

Iron: at least 6,5 mg/100 g

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ must not have any deterioration in colour or appearance such as to compromise its characteristics; the maximum overall tolerance is 2,0 % of lentils being split, stained, damaged by weevils or discoloured. In addition, non-compliance with the size criteria is permitted for a maximum of 2,0 % of the dried product.

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

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

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ must be grown in the area defined in point 4.

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

The authorised types of packaging are as follows:

— bags: 250 g to 5 kg

— bags packed in a controlled atmosphere (nitrogen): 250 g to 5 kg

— sacks: up to 25 kg

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

In addition to the EU graphic symbol, the PGI logo, indications and the information required by law, the packaging must carry on the label the following additional indications in clear and legible print:

— ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ followed by the acronym I.G.P. [PGI] (Indicazione Geografica Protetta [Protected Geographical Indication])

— The name, business name and address of the producer and packager

It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for. However, it is permitted to use brand names provided these have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer, as well as the name of the holding from whose land the product comes and other truthful and documentable indications that are permitted under Union, national or regional law and that do not conflict with the purposes and content of this product specification.

The name ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ may not be translated.

Logo

This is the PGI’s logo:

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of the ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ Protected Geographical Indication comprises the entire administrative territory of the following municipalities in the province of Viterbo: Acquapendente, Gradoli, Grotte di Castro, Latera, Onano and San Lorenzo Nuovo.

5. Link with the geographical area

The application for recognition of ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ is based on its reputation.

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ is characterised by a strong reputation both nationally and internationally, thanks also to the considerable commercial recognition it has received.

In its production area, referred to in point 4, ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ has always been regarded as a symbol of the local farming and gastronomic culture, where the age-old tradition dating back to Etruscan times, the favourable soil and climate conditions of the area and the lively entrepreneurial activity have increased the product’s fame and reputation.

The soils in which ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ grows are of volcanic origin (Vulsini volcanic complex) and tend to be loose, without many rocks and stones, sufficiently deep, and rich in chemical elements. These characteristics enhance the organoleptic characteristics of the product, making it possible to obtain seeds with a regular shape and without the morphological anomalies that are typical of compact soils.

These soils are naturally rich in micro elements, especially iron, and this has a number of beneficial effects on the crop, including a low total sugar content, fullness of flavour and a good shelf life.

The reputation it enjoys on the market has been growing since the end of the nineteenth century and this is confirmed by the numerous awards received in Italy and abroad.

Between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the product started to be identified by its place of origin Onano. The reputation of these lentils reached its height in this period. In 1874, lenticchie dionane, sponsored by the Viterbo agricultural committee, were selected by the Agriculture Directorate of the newly-established Kingdom of Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade to take part in the Paris Exposition Universelle.

Lentils were grown for their high iron content and eaten by local country people to compensate for the shortage of animal meat. Evidence shows that lentil-growing has been carried out in the Viterbo area since the Middle Ages, continuing into modern times.

In the collection of Orders, Statutes and Municipal Laws of the Community and People of Onano, dated 1561, the importance of these lentils is shown by the heavy fines imposed on persons who stole or damaged plants and products. They were not produced for the growers’ own consumption and, indeed, at the beginning of the 17th century, local administrators had to put a stop to foreign merchants buying up all the lentils at the Onano weekly market. They did this by imposing a maximum limit on the sale and export of the lentils, setting it at 18 kg per person (Letter from Duke Sforza to the Council of the Community of Onano, 1616).

Numerous sources refer to the history of ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when the product started to be characterised by the name of its place of origin: Onano. In 1874, lenticchie dionane, sponsored by the Viterbo agricultural committee, were selected by the Agriculture Directorate of the newly-established Kingdom of Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade to take part in the Paris Exposition Universelle. Between 1910 and 1911, ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ participated in numerous international exhibitions and had the opportunity to be appreciated in London, Paris and Buenos Aires, receiving first prizes, diplomas and gold medals for its quality.

In 1934, ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ was again selected among the typical products of Alta Tuscia and brought to the national agriculture show.

As Domenico Orzi, head of the Viterbo school of agriculture, stated in Tuscia Agricola: ‘Our school was able to display some magnificent specimens of “Lenticchia di Onano” in the fruit and vegetable section. These products are typical of the province of Viterbo and have become very important, as shown by their average annual production, which for lentils is 600 tonnes.’

Further evidence of recognition can be found in the Listino dei prezzi all’ingrosso praticati sulla piazza di Viterbo [Wholesale price list for the Viterbo market], in which, from 1936, there was a separate entry, so that a distinction could be made between lenticchia comune [common lentil] and ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ [Onano lentil], which had a listing and a market, even at wholesale level, that were distinct from the generic product.

Between the 1950s and 1960s, ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ continued to be sought after and consumed mainly in the provinces of Viterbo and Rome, although there was no lack of demand from other regions and from abroad.

The fact that ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ was included in the 1964 agreement between Italy and France for the protection of the names and origins of a number of agri-food products, and indeed was the only entry under lentils, demonstrates that there was a foreign market (Convention on the protection of appellations of origin, indications of source and designations of certain products (with protocol and annexes), signed in Rome on 28 April 1964, registered for France on 27 January 1970, in United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 712, No 10233, New York 1972, p. 356).

Although food tastes and market demands have had a strong impact on the production of lentils at national level, ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ has continued to maintain its market share, buoyed by its history and strong reputation. This was also recognised by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) in its Agricultural Statistics Yearbook, where the product was still included in the table of ‘products/markets and qualities’ in 1970 (ISTAT, Annuario di statistica agraria [Agricultural Statistics Yearbook], vol. XVIII, Rome 1972, p. 242).

Nowadays, tables of statistics and current prices no longer distinguish between prices of common lentils and other lentils linked to specific places of origin. In any case, the product is given recognition on advertising leaflets for products included in ‘quality schemes’ linked to the specialities of the Lazio area, which are distributed via the marketing channels of the major Italian retailers and which always indicate the origin of ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ in order to distinguish it from common lentils. The price per kg is also different for the two types of lentil: 7,20 to 11,00 euro/kg for ‘Lenticchia di Onano’, compared with 2,30 to 4,50 euro/kg for generic lentils.

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ is the basic ingredient in many traditional recipes in the area and is appreciated by chefs and gastronomy experts because of its distinctive taste and the fact that it cooks quickly while remaining whole. It has been considered a niche product in wine and food reviews since 1931 due to it being ‘extremely renowned and widely exported’ (Touring Club Italiano, Guida Gastronomica d’Italia [Gastronomic Guide to Italy, 1931) and is still present in the high-circulation guides dedicated to discovering the flavours of the area (such as Tuscia a tavola [The Cuisine of Tuscia] by Italo Arieti, 1996, or the Guide ai sapori e ai piaceri [Guides to culinary delights and leisure activities] dedicated to Rome and Lazio, or to Tuscia, by La Repubblica and L’Espresso, 2021). ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ appears in Il Golosario. Guida alle cose buone d’Italia [Encyclopaedia of Taste. Guide to the delights of Italy] by Paolo Massobrio (single edition, 2021), also in Slow Food Revolution (Slow Food Editore, 2005) by Carlo Petrini and in Almanacco Slow Food. Prodotti e ricette per un anno [Slow Food Almanac. Products and recipes for a year] by Carlo Bogliotti (Slow Food Editore, 2021).

It can also be sampled in the restaurants in Rome where it is traditionally linked to the New Year festivities as a good omen and to bring wealth.

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ is one of the typical products of Lazio’s regional cuisine and it is also known abroad, where it is promoted by chefs famous for Italian cuisine. In 2008, the American magazine Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), known as the global fashion bible, suggested to its readers ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ among the ‘seasonal specialities’ for keeping warm in winter (https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/in-season-winter-treats-1868335 – accessed on 26 June 2021).

Onano lentil lasagna, on the other hand, is mentioned in the book Making Artisan Pasta (Quarry Books, 2012) by Aliza Green, the famous chef and culinary expert from Philadelphia.

The Italo-Australian chef Guy Grossi included ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ in his cookery book Love Italy (Penguin Random House, 2013), wishing to showcase the efforts of the growers who are keeping the production of these ancient lentils alive.

Also from Australia, the chef Stefano ‘Steve’ Manfredi mentions ‘Lenticchia di Onano’ as one of Lazio’s most valued products, calling it ‘highly regarded’ (Stefano Manfredi’s Italian Food, Fairfax books, Crows Nest, 2013).

Gino D’Acampo, a Neapolitan chef who is extremely popular in the United Kingdom because of his TV shows, devotes a paragraph of his cookery book to the story of Onano lentils: Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape. A Taste of Italy from the Aeolian Islands to Elba, (Hodder&Stoughton, 2017).

It should also be mentioned that there is an annual festival dedicated to ‘Lenticchia di Onano’, which has taken place every year since 1964, except in exceptional circumstances. Organised by the Municipality of Onano as part of the celebration of Saint Tryphon, the festival takes place during the week of the Assumption holiday.

The reputation of the name ‘Lenticchia of Onano’ is confirmed on the web by more than 5 000 hits on Google.

‘Lenticchia di Onano’ is registered on the Lazio Region’s list of traditional agri-food products.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The full text of the product specification is available on the following Internet: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335”

or alternatively:

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità’ (at the top right of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

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