EN Official Journal of the European Union C 237/40

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2013/C 237/08

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).

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A TSG

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 509/2006

on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialities guaranteed (2)

‘ŽEMAITIŠKAS KASTINYS’

EC No: LT-TSG-0007-0910-11.11.2011

1. Name and address of the applicant group

Name of group or organisation (if relevant): ‘Žemaitiško kastinio gamintojai’ Address: Sedos g. 35 LT-87101 Telšiai LIETUVA/LITHUANIA Tel. +370 44422201 Fax +370 44474897 E-mail: info@zpienas.lt

2. Member State or Third Country

Lithuania

3. Product specification

3.1. Name(s) to be registered (Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’

3.2. Name

☒ is specific in itself  expresses the specific character of the agricultural product or foodstuff

The name ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ does not convey the specific character of the product, but it is established and well known both in Žemaitija (a region in western Lithuania) and throughout Lithuania when traditionally referring to this product, as illustrated by the various sources referred to in point 3.8.

The name ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is referred to in the following 20th century recipe books: Gaspadinystės knyga arba Pamokinimai kaip prigulinčiai yra sutaisomi valgiai (Tilžė (Tilsit), 1927), Ką valgome (Dr Tumėnienė et al., Kaunas, 1935) and Lietuvių valgiai (compiled by J. Pauliukonienė, Vilnius, 1983).

3.3. Whether reservation of the name is sought under Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 509/2006

☒ Registration with reservation of the name  Registration without reservation of the name

3.4. Type of product (as in Annex II)

Class 1.4. Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

3.5. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1 applies (Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is a traditional product made from sour cream that is heated, stirred and then cooled.

‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ has a characteristic homogeneous, thick, consistent texture of stiff cream with isolated drops of liquid, may be crumbly at a temperature of + 6 °C and melts easily in the mouth. It has a uniform yellowish colour throughout. Depending on the herbs and spices used in the recipe, ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ may be tinged the colour of the added ingredients and may contain little bits of herbs or spices. It has a mild, slightly sour, lactic acid flavour with a slight saltiness and hints of the herbs and spices.

The physico-chemical characteristics of ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ are as follows:

— fat content, depending on the recipe: 25-30 %,

— common salt content: 1-1,5 %.

3.6. Description of the production method of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1 applies (Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

Raw materials:

— sour cream with a fat content of 25-30 %: 80-83 kg/100 kg of product,

— butter with a fat content of at least 82 %: 6-7 kg/100 kg of product,

— sour milk with a fat content of 2,5-4 %: 5-5,5 kg/100 kg of product,

— common salt: 1-1,5 kg/100 kg of product.

Herbs and spices (black pepper, allspice, caraway, dill, mint or a mixture of these: 0,1-0,15 kg/100 kg of product) and aromatic vegetables (garlic or onion: 1-2 kg/100 kg of product) may be used.

Production method:

‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is produced using a traditional method.

The required ingredients are weighed according to the recipe. In a separate container, the sour cream and sour milk are mixed together and heated to a temperature of between 25 °C and 30 °C. The cold butter is softened by heating it to a temperature of between 25 °C and 30 °C. The aromatic vegetables are cleaned and chopped.

In accordance with the recipe, the heated, softened butter is placed in the mixing bowl and the sour cream/sour milk mixture is gradually added, pouring in an eighth of the total quantity required by the recipe each time and stirring the mixture by hand or equivalent mechanical means. ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ must always be stirred in the same direction. When the mixture reaches the consistency of sour cream (without separation of the buttermilk), another eighth of the sour cream/sour milk mixture is added and stirring continues. This is repeated until all of the sour cream/sour milk mixture has been added (in accordance with the recipe). When ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ starts to stiffen, it is salted and the ground herbs and spices and chopped aromatic vegetables are added and stirred in evenly. ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ must be packaged immediately, before it solidifies.

‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is packaged in clay jars or disposable containers of 250 g, 200 g and 100 g. The jars are closed with a clay lid, over which a cover is placed, and tied shut with a cord. The disposable containers are sealed with foil lids. After packaging, ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is cooled to a temperature of 6 °C. Once it has cooled down, the product develops a stiff, homogeneous structure.

3.7. Specific character of the agricultural product or foodstuff (Article 3(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

the following specific characteristics distinguish ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ from other products of the same category:

— traditional ingredients and production method: unlike other types of kastinys, the recipe for ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ has barely changed since it was first mentioned in the written sources referred to in point 3.8, i.e. the same ingredients are used in similar proportions. Meanwhile, in order to obtain a greater variety of flavours, other types of kastinys, which started to be produced later, completely replaced the sour cream with sour milk or mixed the sour cream with kefir, possibly adding beetroot or carrot juice or egg yolks, which gives the kastinys a red or yellow colour. The production of ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is characterised by constant slow stirring of the butter and sour cream mixture, during which an eighth of the sour cream/sour milk mixture is added at a time, while regulating the temperature very closely (25-30 °C) to make sure that the buttermilk does not separate out. The production of other types of kastinys has been modernised. They are not stirred but beaten, adding all of the ingredients in three or four goes or even all at once, and may be subjected to greater temperature fluctuations,

— flavour: ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ has a characteristic mild, slightly sour, lactic acid flavour with a slight saltiness and hints of the added herbs and spices. Other types of kastinys are characterised by a rather sharp lactic acid flavour (where the sour cream has been replaced by sour milk) or a yeasty lactic acid flavour (where the sour cream has been replaced by kefir), with hints of the characteristic flavour of the added juice (beetroot or carrot) or egg yolk,

— texture: ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ has a characteristic thick, homogeneous, consistent texture of stiff cream with isolated drops of liquid, may be crumbly at a temperature of + 6 °C and melts easily in the mouth. Other types of kastinys are characterised by a soft, spreadable texture.

3.8. Traditional character of the agricultural product or foodstuff (Article 3(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

In addition to the primitive method of producing butter by using a spoon to beat sour cream in a dish, a method which was widespread throughout Lithuania, one Lithuanian region, Žemaitija, developed its own distinctive technique of processing sour cream by stirring heated sour cream and taking care that the buttermilk did not separate out. This technique spread throughout Lithuania. The product obtained, ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’, has a specific flavour and consistency (Lietuvių kalbos atlasas, Vol. 1, Leksika, Vilnius, 1977). In the mid-19th century, the product was described in academic publications (Litwa względem starożytnych zabytków, obyczajów i zwyczajów skreślona (Ludwik Adam Jucewicz (Ludwik z Pokiewia), Vilnius, 1846) and Pamiętniki Pana Kamertona (Leon Potocki, Poznań, 1869)), emphasising its production method (made from heated sour cream) and very pleasant taste.

The National Museum of Lithuania holds transcriptions of accounts by people born at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century (National Museum of Lithuania ethnographic collections, storage repositories F 15-4, F 15-13, F 32-7 and F 32-48), in which the production technique and recipe are described as follows: first, three tablespoons of sour cream and half a spoon of butter are placed in a heated clay bowl. This is mixed thoroughly and stirred with a wooden spoon, always in the same direction. When the stirred mass starts to cool and separate into buttermilk, the bowl is heated in hot water and the liquefied mass is cooled in a bowl of cold water. While stirring, sour cream is added to the mass in small quantities. Some of the sour cream is often replaced by curdled milk, making the kastinys lighter. When it is time to stop stirring, salt and other herbs and spices are added (caraway, ground pepper, chopped garlic and onion, spring onion greens in season and sprigs of dill or mint).

In Lietuvių valgiai (compiled by J. Pauliukonienė, Mokslas, Vilnius, 1983), a book produced by academics in 1983 which describes the old traditional techniques for preparing the raw materials, in which the sour cream is separated from the milk by hand (by skimming it off with a spoon), naturally leaving some curdled milk in the sour cream, the recipe and production method for ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ are as follows: ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’: ½ l sour cream, 1 spoon of butter, ½ teaspoon of caraway or other herbs or spices, salt. The butter is placed in a clay bowl with a spoonful of sour cream, the bowl is placed in hot water, and the mixture is stirred with a wooden spoon. After it has been stirred a little (before the buttermilk separates out), another spoon of sour cream is added, and stirring continues until all the sour cream has been added. When it starts to thicken, salt is added, along with the washed and dried caraway, mixing thoroughly. Kastinys has a somewhat salty, mild, slightly sour taste.

The recipe and production method for ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ have not changed to this day, as shown by the certificate awarded to this product in 2010 by the Lithuanian Culinary Heritage Fund, confirming that ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’ is made in accordance with the traditional techniques, using traditional raw materials, added ingredients and equipment.

3.9. Minimum requirements and procedures to check the specific character (Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

Taking into account the specific characteristics of ‘Žemaitiškas kastinys’, the following checks are carried out:

1. quality of each batch of raw materials received: — the fat content of the sour cream and sour milk must be as specified in point 3.6; this is tested in a laboratory, — the fat content of the butter must be as specified in point 3.6; this is tested in a laboratory, — the organoleptic indicators of the herbs, spices and aromatic vegetables (aroma, flavour, colour) are checked on the basis of documents and by sensory assessment;

2. compliance with the production technique specified in point 3.6: adherence to the sequence of processes and the stipulated parameters (temperature and proportions of the ingredients) is checked visually and by taking measurements during the production of each batch;

3. quality of each batch of the final product: — the organoleptic characteristics (texture, colour, flavour) must correspond to those set out in point 3.5; this is checked by sensory analysis, — the fat content must be as specified in point 3.5; this is tested in a laboratory, — the common salt content must be as specified in point 3.5; this is checked on the basis of the recipe and, where doubts arise, in a laboratory.

At least once a year, the authority specified in point 4.1 checks that the product and the production process comply with the product specification.

4. Authorities or bodies verifying compliance with the product specification

4.1. Name and address

Name: Valstybinė maisto ir veterinarijos tarnyba Address: Siesikų g. 19 LT-07170 Vilnius LIETUVA/LITHUANIA Tel. +370 52404361 E-mail: vvt@vet.lt

☒ Public  Private

4.2. Specific tasks of the authority or body

The inspection authority referred to in point 4.1 is responsible for monitoring all the criteria set out in the specification.

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

(2) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.