EN Official Journal of the European Union C 299/7

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2010/C 299/05

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘KOŁOCZ ŚLĄSKI’/‘KOŁACZ ŚLĄSKI’

EC No: PL-PGI-0005-0728-20.11.2008

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Kołocz śląski’/‘kołacz śląski’

2. Member state or third country:

Poland

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 2.4. Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares

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

A ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is rectangular in shape and is about 3,5 cm (± 0,5 cm) high. A ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ measuring 40 × 60 cm (± 5 cm) weighs roughly 5-6 kg.

‘Kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is produced in the following forms:

— with no filling,

— with a cheese, poppy seed or apple filling.

The top layer of the ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ consists of a crumble topping.

The yeast-cake layer is cream in colour; the colour of the filling, however, varies according to the raw material used:

— creamy yellow for the cheese filling,

— dark grey for the poppy seed filling,

— and amber, honey-coloured for the apple filling.

The external layer of a ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is typically golden in colour and is dusted with icing sugar.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

The following raw materials are used to make ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’:

for the yeast cake: — 0,7-0,9 kg wheat flour — 0,3-0,5 l milk — 0,1-0,3 kg sugar — 0,04-0,06 kg yeast — 0,1-0,3 kg egg — 0,1-0,3 kg butter (25 % of the butter may be replaced by margarine with a fat content of at least 70 %) — salt;

for the cheese filling: — 2,4-2,6 kg half-fat curd cheese — 0,22-0,26 kg yolk from hens’ eggs — 0,4-0,6 kg sugar — flavouring — zest of one lemon — 0,1-0,3 kg butter;

optional additions: — 0,09-0,11 kg raisins — 0,09-0,11 kg cream or vanilla custard;

for the poppy seed filling: — 1,4-1,6 kg blue poppy seed — 0,4-0,6 kg sugar — 0,1-0,3 kg egg pulp — 0,1-0,3 kg butter — 0,4-0,6 l water — almond flavouring

optional additions: — 0,09-0,11 kg raisins, or 0,09-0,11 kg almonds, 0,09-0,11 kg walnuts or 0,3-0,5 kg sponge-cake crumbs;

for the apple filling: — 2,8-3,2 kg baked apple — 0,25-0,4 kg sugar

optional additions: — cinnamon, 0,15-0,25 kg vanilla custard or 0,15-0,25 kg breadcrumbs. The possibility of adding different ingredients to the filling does not affect the product’s basic features and does not change the specific features of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’.

for the crumble topping: — 0,35-0,45 kg butter — 0,7-0,9 kg wheat flour — 0,35-0,45 kg sugar — vanilla sugar.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

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

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

— making the yeast-cake dough,

— preparing the filling,

— preparing the crumble topping,

— dividing and rolling out the dough,

— shaping the dough in the tin and layering the kołocz,

— baking,

— decorating.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

‘Kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ can be sold without packaging or labelling. Points of sale are indicated by notices bearing one of the variants of the name: ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’. If packaging is used, the label of the ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ features the name in one of the registered variants, the logo of the protected geographical indication or the term ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ or the acronym ‘PGI’.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

Opolskie Province, as defined by its administrative boundaries, and the following counties in Śląskie Province:

Będziński, Bielski, city of Bielsko-Biała, Bieruńsko-Lędziński, city of Bytom, city of Chorzów, Cieszyński, Gliwicki, city of Gliwice, city of Jastrzębie-Zdrój, city of Katowice, Lubliniecki, Mikołowski, city of Mysłowice, city of Piekary Śląskie, Pszczyński, Raciborski, city of Ruda Śląska, Rybnicki, city of Rybnik, city of Siemianowice Śląskie, city of Świętochłowice, Tarnogórski, city of Tychy, Wodzisławski, city of Zabrze and city of Żory.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

‘Kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is part of the tradition of baking and eating wedding cakes which dates back to the 10th century. It was considered to be magical, which is also why it had to be baked under the appropriate conditions — by women specially trained in the art and who could not, for example, allow draughts into the room. Men were not allowed into the kitchen during baking.

The popularity of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ increased over the centuries as it became associated with celebrations. An expensive wedding cake, ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ was supposed to guarantee that the newlyweds would be blessed with children. As time passed, it became a more everyday product, but its role as a festive cake remains very important. In Silesia, the highly prized tradition whereby guests at wedding banquets receive a ‘contribution’, referred to as a ‘delivery’ or ‘parcel’ in the northern part of the Opole area or as a ‘little present’ or ‘gift’ in southern Silesia, dates back to the 18th century. Over time, the custom of ‘taking round the kołocz’ became popular in Silesia. It is customary to take a ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ to wedding guests three or four days before the ceremony.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The specific distinguishing characteristics of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ have developed over many years of baking tradition:

— four varieties (without filling or with apple, poppy seed or cheese filling),

— its rectangular shape,

— the crumble topping.

‘Kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ comes in four varieties, established over years of baking tradition: without filling, or with a cheese, poppy seed or apple filling.

Another specific feature which distinguishes ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ from other similar products is its rectangular shape — in other regions of Poland the kołacz is round. The name kołocz/kołacz itself refers in Polish to a festive cake and comes from the word koło (meaning ‘wheel’), describing its shape.

The crumble topping of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is characterised by a buttery aroma, owing to the large amount of butter which goes into it, and has a denser consistency and is coarser than toppings used in other parts of the country.

The specific characteristics of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ are not based purely on an ancient tradition or sensory properties but also on its symbolic value as a festive cake, which is still felt in Silesia.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The link between ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ and the area is based on the specific characteristics of the product described at (5.2) and on the reputation described below.

The inhabitants of Silesia, a border region, are particularly attached to their traditions and treasure their cultural heritage. There is a long tradition in Silesia of the ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ as a festive cake, eaten particularly at weddings, as witnessed, inter alia, by the legend that in ancient times gnomes who lived in the Nysa valley taught a clever young girl how to make kołacz, and she then passed on the skill to other people living in Silesia.

The reputation of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ has been established for at least 100 years. A recipe for ‘good “kołocz śląski” with crumble topping, the Emperor’s favourite cake’ can be found in the Illustriertes Kochbuch, published in Frankfurt am Main in 1913. A recipe for ‘kołocz śląski’ with crumble topping was also given in Grundrezepte als Schlüssel zur Kochkunst of 1931. The Deutsches Lesebuch für Volksschulen, 3. und 4. Schuljahr, published in Breslau in 1937, contains a poem entitled ‘Streuselkuchen’ (kołocz z posypką in Polish), which translates as follows: ‘Kołocz with poppy seed, cheese or apple/Kołocz śląski with crumble topping/There’s nothing as good/In the whole wide world/(…)’. References to ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ as one of the most important elements of Silesian culture are also to be found in contemporary sources such as Kuchnia śląska – jodło, historia, kultura, gwara, published in 2003, or in Polskie kuchnie regionalne of 2007.

The reputation of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ can be seen from the many prizes and distinctions it has been awarded: Tradycyjny Produkt Opolszczyzny 2007 (Traditional Product of the Opole Area 2007), Opolska Marka 2007 and a special distinction for promoting traditional products from the Opole area in 2007. In 2006, ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ reached the national final of the Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo (Our Culinary Heritage) competition, and in 2008 it won third prize in the same competition.

‘Kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is increasingly well known outside the region and outside Poland, and its reputation in the Opole area and Upper Silesia is such that nobody can imagine Silesian cuisine without it.

In the old days, ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ was mainly baked by housewives, but nowadays it is made in bakeries. It forms an essential part of regional festivities and events. Even in relatively small localities, a great deal of ‘kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ is consumed at this type of event.

Events celebrating ‘Kołocz śląski’ or ‘kołacz śląski’ are also held in various parts of the geographical area. Take, for example, the biggest kołacz event ever, which drew crowds of 10 000–20 000, for an attempt to beat the Guinness world record in Opole in August 2008; the kołacz baked for the occasion was 136,6 metres long and weighed about 1 500 kg. Consortia representatives take part in shows and trade fairs, the largest of which include Polagra in Poznań, Green Week in Berlin and Agribex in Brussels, as well as local shows and trade fairs.

The product also has a media presence, e.g. on TVP1’s Dzień dobry w sobotę programme and in newspaper articles such as ‘Śląski kołocz – opolski produkt’ (Nowa Trybuna Opolska, 5.11.2007), ‘Wybierz współczesną ikonę Śląska’ (Gazeta Wyborcza, 16.2.2007), and ‘Kołocz jest śląski?’ (Gazeta Wyborcza, 3.8.2007).

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

http://www.minrol.gov.pl/index.php?/pol/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Wnioski-przeslane-do-UE-od-kwietnia-2006-roku

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.