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 281/02)

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

‘HARICOT DE CASTELNAUDARY’

EU No: PGI-FR-02450 – 8.3.2019

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name(s)

‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

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

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

‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ is a dried white lingot bean of the Phaseolus vulgaris species with the following characteristics:

— ivory white colour,

— large seeds with a thousand seed weight of between 440 and 690 grams,

— cylindrical and kidney-shaped,

— a moisture content of less than or equal to 16 %,

— a rehydration speed which keeps soaking time down to at most one to four hours.

It is sold exclusively as a dried bean.

In terms of organoleptic characteristics, once ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ is cooked, it has a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture thanks to its rehydration capacity. It remains intact and its delicate skin is preserved. These characteristics are distinctive and are highly desirable qualities for canners and restaurant-owners.

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

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

All the stages of production of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’, from sowing to harvest, take place in the defined geographical area.

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

Bulk sales direct to the consumer are not allowed.

‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ is packaged for consumers in string bags, microperforated bags, small cartons, jute bags or any other non-hermetic packaging.

Wholesale packaging is intended for processing.

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 area of the ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ protected geographical indication covers the territory of 69 municipalities within the Department of Aude, as follows:

Airoux, Baraigne, Belflou, Belpech, Bram, Cahuzac, Carlipa, Cassaigne (La), Cassés (Les), Castelnaudary, Cazalrenoux, Cumiès, Fajac-la-Relenque, Fanjeaux, Fendeille, Fonters-du-Razès, Force (La), Gaja-la-Selve, Generville, Gourvielle, Issel, Labastide-d'Anjou, Lafage, Lasbordes, Laurabuc, Laurac, Louvière-Lauragais (La), Marquein, Mas-Saintes-Puelles, Mayreville, Mézerville, Mireval-Lauragais, Molandier, Molleville, Montferrand, Montmaur, Montauriol, Orsans, Payra-sur-l'Hers, Pécharic-et-le-Py, Pech-Luna, Peyrefitte-sur-l'Hers, Peyrens, Pexiora, Plaigne, Plavilla, Puginier, Ribouisse, Ricaud, Saint-Amans, Sainte-Camelle, Saint-Gaudéric, Saint-Julien-de-Briola, Saint-Martin-Lalande, Saint-Michel-de-Lanès, Saint-Papoul, Saint-Paulet, Saint-Sernin, Salles-sur-l'Hers, Souilhanels, Souilhe, Soupex, Tréville, Villasavary, Villautou, Villeneuve-la-Comptal, Villepinte, Villesiscle, Villespy.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link with the geographical area rests on the reputation and particular characteristics of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ resulting from natural and human factors found in the area. Its cultivation is well suited to the soil and climate conditions, which yield beans that conform with the characteristics for which they are renowned (quick rehydration, homogeneity of the beans and melt-in-the-mouth flesh) and which users, in particular canners and restaurant-owners, have come to expect.

The geographical area of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’, located at the western-most extreme of the Department of Aude, is an area of plains and gently rolling hills (the Lauragais gap) at an altitude of 100 to 300 metres.

Winds form the key element of the climate. They make the area of Castelnaudary, with its average rainfall of 650 mm per year, a region of transition between the Atlantic regions and those affected by the Mediterranean climate.

Two types of wind blow across the area for around 300 days per year:

— the westerly Cers, which blows for 200 days per year, is a cool and moderate wind in summer, which brings down the very high temperatures, and in winter is a cold, stronger wind,

— the Autan, an easterly ocean wind which blows for 100 days per year, is a wind that is dried in the summer by the Foehn effect between the Pyrenees to the south and the Montagne Noire to the north.

The production area enjoys warm temperatures in summer (25 °C to 28 °C on average) and mild temperatures in winter (10 °C on average) and it is protected from frequent mists by the Seuil de Naurouze, the Montagne Noire and the Pyrenean foothills.

Mostly the Castelnaudary molasse and associated geological formations form the basis of the soils on which the beans are grown. The soils in the geographical area are deep, not very stony and have a good clay/silt balance. They are essentially clay-limestone soils with a silty clay sandy texture.

With the rise in industrial production of cassoulet in the region between 1960 and 1980, the area’s producers developed and updated ancestral expertise in the cultivation of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’.

This expertise is shown by:

— the determination of the optimum sowing period (T° soil ≥ 10 °C) on parcels selected for their clay-limestone characteristics,

— an in-depth knowledge of the crop’s water requirements thanks to an effective warning system and irrigation network,

— the optimum period for harvesting at the parchment stage (malleable yellow/brown pods, green or brown foliage still present on the plant to avoid any risk of spilling out) for natural and quick drying in the field (less than five days).

The operations of harvesting, sorting and storing ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ have also developed over the years on the basis of expertise in these areas (managing moisture content, cleanness of the batches, grading).

‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ is a dry, ivory-white bean. With a weight per thousand seeds of between 440 and 690 grams, the ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ has the cylindrical and kidney shape characteristic of lingot beans and a moisture content of 16 % or less.

The specific characteristics of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ are as follows:

— a raw bean rehydration speed which keeps soaking time down (to at most one to four hours),

— a delicate skin which, once cooked, can no longer be distinguished from the ‘flesh’, with its tender and melt-in-the-mouth texture,

— the bean remains intact when cooked.

These specific characteristics and, in particular, the organoleptic characteristics (the soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture and the speed of rehydration) give it the quality sought by canners and restaurant-owners in Castelnaudary for making their traditional dish: cassoulet.

The qualities of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ are linked with the area’s soil and climate conditions and the expertise of all its producers.

In-depth knowledge of water requirements and wind patterns are the key factors for the beans’ full development and quick drying.

The delicate skin and melt-in-the-mouth texture when ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ is cooked are the result of a combination of the characteristics of the deep clay-limestone soil and regular rainfall that provide the crop with an abundant water supply, and the producers’ in-depth knowledge of the crop’s water requirements. The local conditions, the use of an efficient irrigation system and the producers’ expertise prevent water stress.

At the end of the growing season, the warm, dry and windy climate, combined with the use of high-performance technological processes, ensures the best possible quality of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ and uniform batches. Indeed, the almost permanent presence of wind during the plant’s growth period acts as a preventive against the main diseases that may affect the beans. At the end of the cycle, this wind improves quality and boosts the speed of natural drying in the field. Furthermore, the use of special threshing equipment keeps the beans whole as far as possible.

The sorting methods (bean separator, gravity separator, stone-removing machine, optical sorter) ensure the highest consistency in the quality of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’. The batches contain whole beans free of impurities with a consistent, regular colour.

Lastly, the speed of rehydration of the dried beans, taking account of their delicate skin which in itself results from the combination of the natural conditions of the geographical area and the operators’ expertise, together with the consistency of the batches, optimises soaking time. This parameter enables cooking time to be reduced and guarantees a high consistency of the beans. This characteristic of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ meets the demanding requirement on the part of processors and restaurant-owners for producing cassoulets from beans with a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

The bean has been a staple in the region’s diet since the 17th century.

Félicien Pariset (1807-1886), tax collector for the district of Castelnaudary, wrote in his 1867 publication ‘Rural economy, customs and habits of Lauragais’ that ‘...mealy foods such as wheat, millet (corn) and beans are the staples of the rural population. Workers receive a certain amount of cereals in kind for their wages and salaries, which suffice for their personal consumption. They only buy seasoning. “Millas”, which is mashed corn or millet flour, plays an essential role in their diet. This is the favourite as well as national dish of the Midi. Another favourite dish of the Lauragais is the cassoulet, prepared with pork and beans...’

The fine reputation of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ originates from its central place as the main ingredient in the production of cassoulet.

Cassoulet forms part of the culinary heritage of the region, especially in its capital Castelnaudary.

This has naturally led its biggest producers to make their base there.

In 1836 the first industrial cassoulet factory was set up in Castelnaudary. Between 1960 and 1980, five companies representing the lion’s share of the overall turnover for cassoulet production were established around Castelnaudary.

The strong demand for and boom in production of ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ go hand in hand with the growth in production of cassoulet.

Starting from this period, the growth in production of cassoulet from Castelnaudary led to a growing demand for its main ingredient: beans. It was such a quick boom that in the beginning cassoulet processors had to source their supplies from outside Europe. They were then quick to encourage local farmers to revive production of this emblematic crop, which played a part in the renown of their recipe: ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’.

In 1992, production was truly revived mainly thanks to the joint purchase of high-performance materials and the creation of a producers’ union.

Since this organised relaunch of production, restaurant-owners and canners have once again been using ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ to make cassoulet; at present production is essentially reserved for making high-quality cassoulets.

Equipped with its specific qualities, ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ fully meets the needs of producers of Cassoulet de Castelnaudary and has acquired such a strong reputation with consumers that small package sales have experienced an upsurge.

The bean festival, launched in 1999 by the ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ producers’ union, has also enjoyed enormous success. It has since evolved into a cassoulet festival to be more inclusive of the industry in its entirety (producers, restaurant-owners and canners). Up to 40 000 cassoulets were served up just for the 2017 cassoulet festival.

A ‘cassoulet route’, which guides people around its different elements, includes organised visits to farms of bean producers, ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ being the most emblematic ingredient.

Today, around 50 restaurants and 13 canners in the production area offer this traditional dish. Their demand for ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’ is constantly on the rise. The chef at ‘Le Tirou’, a rustic inn in Castelnaudary mentioned in the 2019 Michelin Guide, states: ‘“Haricot de Castelnaudary” does not require a long soaking or cooking time, yet it holds together very well when cooked...’ The chef Robert Rodriguez from the eponymous Carcassonne restaurant goes further: ‘This bean has a very delicate skin and once cooked the skin cannot be distinguished from its tender, melt-in-the-mouth flesh.’ Maison Escourrou, a canner in Castelnaudary since 1963, adds that: ‘The cooperative supplies me with consistent batches. Therefore, I do not need to set up a new processing method each time I receive a batch. This is unimaginable with imported beans.’

Consumers’ appetite for local, high-quality products and the growing economic impact of this production on the financial balance of local farms have led to an increase in areas used for crops.

The National Federation of Pulses (Fédération Nationale des Légumes Secs) regularly publishes on the unique benefits of beans, including ‘Haricot de Castelnaudary’, which is described as ‘a white lingot bean with a delicate skin...’ (FNLS, 2016 press kit).

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDC-HaricotCastel.pdf

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