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 (2021/C 455/05)

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

‘ZAGORSKI ŠTRUKLI’ / ‘ZAGORSKI ŠTRUKLJI’

EU No: PGI-HR-02623 – 23 July 2020

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

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

‘Zagorski štrukli’ / ‘Zagorski štruklji’

2. Member State or Third Country

Republic of Croatia

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

2.3. Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares

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

‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are baker’s wares prepared using the following ingredients: type-550 fine wheat flour, fresh cow’s milk cheese, sour cream, eggs, oil, water and salt. Butter or pork fat may be used instead of oil. A smooth dough is prepared using the flour, oil, salt and water, which is rolled out and stretched by hand in order to obtain a very thin dough. The dough is stuffed with a mixture of fresh cow’s milk cheese, sour cream, eggs and salt. The stuffed dough is folded into a roll and cut into small rectangular pieces whose ends should be closed as tightly as possible so that the stuffing does not leak out. These raw ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ must be cushion-shaped and have the defined dimensions. They are placed on the market as fresh or frozen products.

The quality criteria for fresh and frozen ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are as follows:

Shape Cushion-shaped Dimensions Length: 8 to 11 cm Height: 2 to 5 cm Width: 4 to 6 cm Weight: From 70 g to 130 g Consistency when fresh Consistency when frozen Soft to the touch Hard Colour Whitish-yellow (typical of wheat dough)

The quality criteria for fresh and frozen ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ intended for cooking in soup are as follows:

Shape Cushion-shaped Dimensions Length: 5 to 7 cm Height: 1,5 to 3 cm Width: 3 to 6 cm Weight: From 50 g to 100 g Consistency when fresh Consistency when frozen Soft to the touch Hard Colour Whitish-yellow (typical of wheat dough)

Fresh or frozen ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ may be prepared for consumption by boiling, baking or au gratin, and they may also be served in soup. They are served as a starter, dessert or as a small, stand-alone dish.

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

The raw materials used to produce ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are as follows: type-550 fine wheat flour, eggs, fresh cow’s milk cheese, sour cream, oil (vegetable or sunflower) or butter or pork fat, salt and water. The fresh cow’s milk cheese and sour cream must have been produced in the geographical area referred to in point 4.

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

The production process for ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’, from the preparation of the dough to the stuffing and shaping of the product, must take place entirely within the geographical area referred to in point 4. When producing frozen ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’, the freezing process must also take place in the geographical area referred to in point 4.

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

The product must be packaged in the defined geographical area in order to preserve its quality.

After ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are prepared, they are packaged in appropriate packaging and stored in a refrigerated environment to prevent the deterioration of the product’s quality caused by external factors (handling during transportation, temperature, air, micro-organisms).

For frozen ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’, following production and appropriate packaging they are frozen at the manufacturing plant to avoid any excessive handling of the product and to reduce the risk of breaks in the cold chain and the danger of microbiological contamination.

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

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4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of production of ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ comprises the territory of Hrvatsko Zagorje, namely the entire territory of Krapina-Zagorje County, the entire territory of Varaždin County and the fringes of Zagreb County bordering Krapina-Zagorje County and Varaždin County, specifically the municipalities of: Brdovec, Marija Gorica, Pušća, Dubravica, Luka, Jakovlje, Bistra and Bedenica.

5. Link with the geographical area

The causal link between ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ and the defined geographical area is based on the reputation enjoyed by this product, which is connected with the area of Hrvatsko Zagorje. The link is also based on the specific, traditional method of preparing and producing ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ and the traditional recipe, which are characteristic of this geographical area and have been preserved to this day.

‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are produced following an old, tried and tested recipe using a special method with traditional ingredients. The special features of their preparation are the way in which the dough is made, stretched by hand and filled with the stuffing, and the shape of the finished ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’. Stretching the dough by hand requires special skill and experience, since it is important that the dough is stretched as thinly and evenly as possible and that it does not break in the process. It must be very thin and transparent. Phyllo-type doughs such as these are a characteristic feature of traditional Croatian cuisine, and even more so of Hrvatsko Zagorje, where this skill has been handed down over generations.

An attractive tourist destination in mainland Croatia thanks to its history and culture, Hrvatsko Zagorje also attracts scores of visitors with its gastronomy based on traditional local products. ‘Zagorski puran’ (Zagorje turkey), served together with ‘Zagorski mlinci’ (Zagorje dried flatbread), and ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are the most important, traditional agricultural products and foodstuffs of Hrvatsko Zagorje; they are known throughout Croatia and beyond and are synonymous with Zagorje cuisine. This is evidenced by numerous tourist brochures for Hrvatsko Zagorje, where reference is routinely made to ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’. They can also be found on almost all menus in various eateries and tourist establishments. (‘Okusi Zagorja’ (The Flavours of Zagorje) - Tourist Board for Krapina-Zagorje County, Zagreb, 2017).

The article ‘Food in the context of intangible culture’ (M. Belaj et al, Institute of Ethnology and Folkloric Research, Zagreb) describes dishes consumed during the day in the area of Međimurje, Podravina and Hrvatsko Zagorje and specifically lists ‘[...] some of the characteristic dishes of Hrvatsko Zagorje: rolled dumpling soup, štrukle (rolled dumplings), bučnica (rolled pastry filled with cheese and grated pumpkin), turkey with mlinci (thin dried flatbread) and orehnjača (sweet walnut roll).’

The link between ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ and Hrvatsko Zagorje is affirmed by the fact that they are listed in the ‘Hrvatsko Zagorje Encyclopaedia’ published by the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography in 2017.

The culinary event ‘Chef - Zagorski chef’ is a cookery competition where the participants use traditional ingredients from Hrvatsko Zagorje to prepare innovative and imaginative dishes. This event, which has been held for several consecutive years, brings together the finest of Hrvatsko Zagorje’s cuisine, as they say in Krapina-Zagorje County. Here, visitors and other people may enjoy ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’, among other products.

The ‘Štruklijada’, or ‘Rolled Dumpling Festival’, is a special event dedicated to ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ and takes place every year in a different town in Hrvatsko Zagorje. Its ‘[...] basic goal is to promote and protect Zagorski štrukli, which are a feature of the distinctive Zagorje brand.’ In addition, the aim is to protect their long-term reputation as an original foodstuff and the singularity of the recipe. The event is an exhibition and a competition, where the best Zagorje caterers compete for the title of ‘Best Štrukli in Zagorje’. (INFO 2017. Krapina-Zagorje County, Tourist Board for Krapina-Zagorje County, Zagreb, 2016). (Krapinske Toplice Štruklijada, 2016) (‘Try it and enjoy it’ – Tourist Board for Krapina-Zagorje County, 2015, and ‘The Traditional Food of Zagorje: Heaven on a Plate’).

In addition to the traditional ‘štruklijada’, Krapina-Zagorje County and its Tourist Board have organised the event ‘Babičini kolači’ (Grandma’s baking) for 11 consecutive years. Here women compete by preparing cakes according to traditional recipes. The preparation of ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ plays a key role at this event every year. All recipes and methods of preparation can be found in the ‘Babičini kolači’ brochures (‘Babičini kolači’ – Krapina-Zagorje County, Krapina 2016).

The reputation of ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ was further affirmed in 2012 when they were entered on the List of autochthonous agricultural and forest foods and traditional dishes of Hrvatsko Zagorje cuisine by Krapina-Zagorje County. Furthermore, the Croatian Ministry of Culture has included ‘The preparation of traditional “homemade Zagorski štrukli”’ on the List of protected intangible cultural heritage.

‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ are found on the market under this name and figure in almost all restaurants in Hrvatsko Zagorje and the wider area (flyer for the restaurant ‘Kod Starog’ in Kumrovec; flyer for the restaurant ‘Vuglec Breg’ in Krapina). The annual ‘Štruklijada’, which takes place every year in a different town in Hrvatsko Zagorje and which many catering companies take part in, is a testament to the long-standing use of the name ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ (flyer with invitation to the ‘Štruklijada’). The flyer ‘Heaven on a table’ promoting individual restaurants and hotels in Hrvatsko Zagorje, in addition to providing basic information about their facilities, gives a short description of the traditional meals they offer, and states, in particular, that ‘[...] genuine homemade zagorski štrukli with fresh cow’s milk cheese are unmissable [...]’.

In many cookbooks and on various websites, recipes can be found for preparing ‘Zagorski štrukli’, or ‘Zagorski štruklji’, which demonstrates how recognisable, renowned and well-used these names are.

The best illustration of the reputation of ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ and their link with Hrvatsko Zagorje are the results of a 2018 poll of 1 000 respondents in Croatia. The poll found that 90 % of the respondents associate štrukli with Hrvatsko Zagorje, while 91 % consider ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ to be a foodstuff originating from Hrvatsko Zagorje. Moreover, 95 % of the respondents believe that ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ should be mentioned in promotional material, culinary publications and monographs related to Hrvatsko Zagorje. Most respondents (91 %) believe that ‘Zagorski štrukli’/‘Zagorski štruklji’ enjoy a reputation in Croatia.

Reference to publication of the product specification

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

https://poljoprivreda.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/hrana/proizvodi_u_postupku_zastite-zoi-zozp-zts/Specifikacija%20proizvoda%20Zagorski%20strukli.pdf

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