EN Official Journal of the European Union C 205/70

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

(2017/C 205/14)

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

‘KIEŁBASA PIASZCZAŃSKA’

EU No: PGI-PL-02154 – 15.7.2016

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’

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

‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’ is pork sausage which is semi-dry cured in a marinade of herb stock and rock salt, coarsely chopped with a firm consistency, and contained in protein casings.

Physical and chemical characteristics:

The surface of the sausage is light brown to dark red in colour. A cross-section reveals large pieces of meat of around 2 cm across, light or dark pink in colour. A lighter filling can be seen around the pieces of meat.

The individual sausages are 25-45 cm in length. They measure 35-50 mm in cross-section, depending on the casing.

Organoleptic characteristics:

The characteristic taste and smell of the herbs contained in the marinade and of the smoking process, with a pronounced juniper aftertaste.

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

Pork obtained from pig half-carcasses with a lean-meat content of 55-60 % is used to produce ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’. The use of sow or boar meat is not allowed. ‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’ may not be produced from frozen meat. Meat for the production of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ is obtained from hams and loins in the period 24-96 hours after slaughter.

Class I pork comprises 90 % of the total production weight; this is meat from hams and loins. It is processed to obtain meat that is free from tendons, fat and connective tissue.

Class II pork comprises 10 % of the total production weight; this is meat from trimmed hams and shank. It may contain fat up to 20 % of the total weight.

Herbs for the stock contained in the marinade:

— allspice,

— bay leaves,

— juniper berries,

— cloves.

Seasoning:

— ground black pepper,

— nutmeg.

3.4. 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:

— preparation of raw materials for production,

— preparation of stock from herbs,

— preparation of meat for curing,

— preparation of marinade,

— semi-dry curing,

— preparation of the filling;

— mixing,

— filling,

— drying,

— smoking and baking,

— chilling.

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

‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’ may be presented as loose sausages or vacuum-packed.

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

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Municipalities in Małopolskie Province: Wieliczka and Świątniki Górne, and the city of Kraków.

5. Link with the geographical area

‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’ derives its specificity from the product’s specific qualities and reputation.

The name ‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’ is taken from the place of its production, Piaski Wielkie. Piaski Wielkie is the name of a former village just outside Kraków which since 1940 has been located within the administrative boundaries of that city. This and the surrounding localities gained renown for the production of meat and cured meats and, in particular, excellent sausages, which for centuries were delivered to Kraków, including the royal table in Wawel Castle. The inhabitants of these areas, who traded in animals and meat products, were known as Kijacy. Their history is described in depth by Franciszek Rusek, inhabitant of Piaski Wielkie, in his book ‘Dzieje kijaków piaszczańskich’ (‘History of the Kijacy of Piaski Wielkie’) (Kraków, 1996).

There are several versions of the origin of the name Kijacy. One of them refers to the fact that they always carried a stick (kij), which they needed to defend themselves against robbers and thieves on their way to Kraków. The sticks carried by the Kijacy also served as proof of the owner’s identity. From an early age each had his own ornamental mark, known to all others, and this was carved into his stick.

The geographical area defined in point 4 is characterised by hilly terrain. Given the geographical conditions, the local population mainly worked in the animal trade, as standard farming was not possible. They also produced processed meat products, including ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’. It has been produced by the inhabitants of the villages near Kraków for centuries without interruption. From local records and information held by the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, it is known that the taste of the sausage is owed to the knowledge of the natural environment in which people in the Czarny Las forest lived. In distant centuries, this was part of a larger forest extending from the periphery of the Krzemionki area near Kraków, through the Carpathians, right up to the border with Hungary. Today, a remnant of the forest can be found between Ochojno and Rajsko, and still bears its previous name Czarny Las. From time immemorial, meat was cured here using an infusion of several herbs, including juniper berries. Natural and readily available herbs and seasonings were used to complement the flavour, but also to offset the negative impact of animal fats on human health. Right up to the end of the nineteenth century, herb mixes were prepared and sold by Kijacy who were familiar with local plants. The use of the aforementioned herbal stock for the production of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ is unique and distinguishes it from other sausages. In Poland, no seasoning is normally added to sausages other than salt, pepper and garlic.

The process of marinating the meat developed by local inhabitants, which distinguishes ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ from other sausages, took place in earthen cellars known as ziemianki. These provided consistently low temperatures and humidity. For centuries, the process of thoroughly chopping the meat was carried out on wide wooden blocks using heavy swords. Later, wide axes were used; manual meat mincers were only introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century. The meat mixture was manually stuffed into intestines using an ox horn, which in modern times was replaced by mechanical devices.

Smoking is an important step in the production of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’. The smoking of cured meat products initially took place in earthen pits, and later the cottages inhabited by the Kijacy had wide chimneys fitted with doors over the stove. By the nineteenth century, many locals had separate outdoor smokehouses. Smoking now takes place in smoking chambers in which heat and smoke is produced by burning wood from deciduous trees, namely beech, alder and oak. Smoke and heat rise from furnaces in the lower part of the chamber, smoking the sausages. The sausages, which are hung from poles, are smoked by the rising heat and smoke. An additional element in the smoking process specific to ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ is the moderate use of juniper branches or berries in the final phase. Producers of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ were pioneers of this type of smoking. The exceptional flavour and unrivalled aroma of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ are due to the particular combination of wood types used to smoke it. A well-smoked ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ has a shelf life of up to a month.

High-quality meat was selected to produce ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’, and the product was even served at the royal table. Local legends confirm the link between ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ and the geographical area where it is produced, as well as its reputation. One became the subject of a literary work published in 1899 by the ethnographer Seweryn Udziela, founder of the Ethnographical Museum in Kraków and author of the book ‘Dwanaście legend i podań z pod Krakowa’ (‘Twelve legends and folks tales from the Kraków area’) (Lwów, 1899). According to the legend, in the reign of King Casimir the Great the inhabitants of Wielkie Piaski brought the sausage they produced to sell it in Kraków. However, the city’s butchers were envious, and tried to have the town council ban the villagers from bringing their meat to the city and selling it. The Kijacy appealed to the king, who promised to allow them to continue their trade if they could bring a 2-metre-long sausage into the city without the city guards noticing. The villagers had the idea to hollow out a long stick and hide the sausage inside. As a result, Casimir the Great gave permission to the villagers to continue to sell their sausage in Kraków, and from then on they were known as Kijacy. The name remains in use to this day.

From 1825, Kijacy sold their widely-known ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ at the ‘jatki dominikańskie’ market on Szczepanski Square, and later in their own shops. During the Second World War, and then in the period of the People’s Republic of Poland in the second half of the twentieth century, a centrally planned economic system operated in the country. As a result, it was not possible to uphold the traditions of the butchers and Kijacy, since there was no free market. In the last years of the twentieth century, the production of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ was limited to private domestic consumption. However, the recipe and unique taste had been preserved unchanged, and the sausages returned to the commercial market.

‘Kiełbasa piaszczańska’, which has been known in Kraków and its surroundings for centuries, is now gaining wider popularity. The unique history of its production in areas connected with the ‘kijak method’, as recounted in numerous documents and studies and held in the memory of the inhabitants of Wielkie Piaski, contributes to the unique character of the product. It is therefore important to maintain the knowledge and skill involved in the manufacture of this sausage as a regional product, and ensure that they are passed on to future generations. Consumers’ appreciation of the taste of the legendary ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ has also been confirmed by the distinctions and awards won at food competitions and fairs:

— ‘Agro Polska’ award, Rzeszów, 4 June 2012.

— Addition of ‘kiełbasa piaszczańska’ to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s List of Traditional Products, 3 June 2013.

— Distinction in the ‘Małopolski Smak’ competition, 9 June 2013.

— first prize in the ‘Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo — Smaki Regionów’ competition in Nawojowa, 8 September 2013.

— ‘Smaki Regionów’ medal, Poznań, 22 September 2013.

— Certificate of the ‘Jakość Tradycja’ national food quality scheme, 3 July 2014.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://www.minrol.gov.pl/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Zlozone-wnioski-o-rejestracje-Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/OGLOSZENIE-MINISTRA-ROLNICTWA-I-ROZWOJU-WSI-z-dnia-18-maja-2016-roku

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