EN Official Journal of the European Union C 67/17

Publication of an application 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

(2016/C 67/07)

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).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘KRUPNIOKI ŚLĄSKIE’

EU No: PL-PGI-0005-01315 — 23.2.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Krupnioki śląskie’

2. Member State or Third Country

Poland

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Product type

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

‘Krupnioki śląskie’ are perishable, cooked, spiced pig’s offal sausages in a natural casing. The diameter of the sausages ranges from 30 to 40 mm and their length from 15 to 25 cm; each sausage weighs 200-300 g.

Physical and chemical characteristics

‘Krupnioki śląskie’ are a product in a natural casing. They are characterised by a clean, slightly moist surface. The casing fits tightly to the filling, which is ground to a fineness of no more than 5 mm. The raw materials on a cross-section must be evenly distributed, the consistency firm, slices of a thickness of 10 mm cannot fall apart, lumps of unmixed ingredients are not admissible.

The fat content may not exceed 35 % nor the salt content 2,5 %; the nitrate and nitrite content (expressed as NaNO2 mg/kg) may not exceed 50.

Organoleptic characteristics

Surface colour: grey to brown or dark brown.

Colour of cross-section: appropriate to the cooked pork, groats, fat and rind used, brown with a tinge of violet or bronze — typical for the ingredients used.

Consistency and texture: firm consistency, crumbly texture, small pieces of lean meat and groats blended in a single mass.

Taste and smell: that of meat and offal, barley or buckwheat groats, cooked fat and rind, slightly salty, clearly discernible spices. A taste or smell of ingredients that are not fresh or that are mouldy is not admissible, nor may there be a sour, bitter or foreign taste or smell.

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

The raw materials for ‘krupnioki śląskie’ should be uncured and unsalted. A producer may opt for salted raw material, but must take this fact into account when determining the quantity of salt added to the filling.

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

The following steps in production must take place in the defined geographical area:

washing and/or soaking,

heat treatment,

grinding,

mixing and seasoning,

filling and tying of intestines,

scalding,

chilling.

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

—

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

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area in which ‘krupnioki śląskie’ are produced encompasses Śląskie and Opolskie provinces and the municipality of Dziadowa Kłoda (Oleśnicki district, Dolnośląskie province).

5. Link with the geographical area

‘Krupnioki śląskie’ derive their specificity from the product’s specific qualities and reputation.

‘Krupnioki śląskie’ have been recorded on Silesian tables since ethnographic research on the region’s food began. They are first mentioned at the end of the 18th century in the countryside around Gliwice. There are numerous references in 19th century sources. ‘Krupnioki śląskie’ figured, inter alia, on wedding menus, becoming a staple on Silesian tables in the 1830s. This was undoubtedly linked to the rapid growth in the 19th century of the number of domestic animals, including pigs, in Silesia. It was at this time that using the head meat of slaughtered farm animals as one of the raw materials for producing krupnioki became widespread. The popularity of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ in the 19th century also grew with the development of mining in Silesia. This is attributable to the fact that people doing heavy work in coal mines needed a diet rich in calories and nutrients.

Making ‘krupnioki śląskie’ is intrinsically linked to pig-killing, which was a special and important ritual in Silesia. Since the 19th century many Silesians living in industrial centres lacked the opportunities of people living in the countryside and owning a field or orchard. People living in towns would have access to a small plot and shed, where they would keep a pig, rabbits and pigeons. All members of the family would be involved in the pig-killing, with the butcher acting as master of ceremonies on the day. After slaughter, the blood was used to produce head cheese and ‘krupnioki śląskie’, which were traditionally produced in large quantities for distribution among the family and neighbours who had provided leftovers and peelings to help the family fatten the pig. It was customary for farmers to share products from a pig-killing, including ‘krupnioki śląskie’, with relatives not present at the killing. The raw materials used to make the product enabled optimal use to be made of the pig’s offal after the pig-killing. This was also very important in economic terms for mining families, who, especially in the 19th century, did not have very much money. Nowadays, because it is technically possible to transport raw materials for the production of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ safely to the area specified at (4), it is permitted to use raw materials from outside that area.

‘Krupnioki śląskie’ derive their specific characteristics primarily from the production process in the geographical area indicated, based on the skills of producers both in selecting raw materials and in performing the production process under optimal technical parameters. The skills of those producing ‘krupnioki śląskie’, developed through the experience and knowledge transmitted from generation to generation, are reflected in the specific quality of the end product referred to in (3.2).

‘Krupnioki śląskie’ are distinguished from other products belonging to the same category by their high calorie content and by their distinctive taste and smell and their crumbly texture. This is attributable not just to differences in the proportion of raw materials compared with other offal products of this type but also to the skill and experience applied by producers to obtain a product with the characteristic organoleptic properties. The abovementioned features of ‘Krupnioki śląskie’ are attributable primarily to the harmonious blend of all raw materials and spices, in particular the groats selected, the liver, onions and pepper, which give the end product a specific taste and smell.

A fundamental difference in the composition of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ compared with similar products is that they contain only 15 % groats, whereas other products contain 20-25 %. At least 85 % of the raw materials in ‘krupnioki śląskie’ are of animal origin, which is the highest level among traditional products of this category (for which 75-80 % of the raw materials are of animal origin), as attested in Internal Regulations No 21 adopted by the Polish Meat Industry Central Office in 1964.

The reputation of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ has held up over the decades not just in Silesia but throughout Poland and beyond. This is borne out by the product’s numerous associations with Silesia, one being that ‘some people associate Silesia with coal and farming, others with krupnioki and roulade’, which only confirms the importance of ‘krupnioki śląskie’. Many producers of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ also take part in numerous culinary events, such as fairs and festivals (including Polagra in Poznań, the Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo — Smaki Regionów competition, Meat Meeting in Sosnowiec, Święto krupnioka śląskiego in Nikiszowiec (Katowice), Świętomięs Polski and other regularly held regional, national and foreign fairs. Although the reputation of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ is established, new food festivals in Opole Silesia and Upper Silesia are entrenching its position as a foodstuff closely associated with the region.

Further proof of the reputation of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ is the fact that the name has entered the Silesian dialect as part of sayings and proverbs. The reputation of ‘krupnioki śląskie’ is also confirmed by numerous newspaper articles and tourist publications describing the regional cuisine of the areas in question. Examples include the guide to Śląskie and Opolskie provinces published in the Polska niezwykła series, which mentions ‘krupnioki śląskie’ and describes them briefly, and the latest edition of the Michelin guide to Poland’s restaurants, which cites ‘krupnioki śląskie’ among 15 Polish regional products.

In a work entitled O śląskich obyczajach, śląskich potrawach i niektórych śląskich słowach (Silesian customs, Silesian foods and certain Silesian words), the author makes the following statement: ‘However, the most brilliant career has been that of certain Silesian dishes and their names, which have entered standard Polish in a number of forms. The most popular throughout Poland has to be “krupnioki” (from “krupy” (groats)), which are, moreover, often referred to as “krupnioki śląskie”, i.e. Silesian “krupnioki”. The noun has spread with its adjective. Something very Silesian lies behind the word …’.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

http://www.minrol.gov.pl/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Zlozone-wnioski-o-rejestracje-Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne

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