Publication of an application for registration pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 8(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92 on certificates of specific character
Date: 2002-04-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Finland, bakery, designation of origin, product designation, product quality

C 102/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

27.4.2002

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 8(1)
of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92 on certificates of specific character

(2002/C 102/08)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 8 and 9 of the
abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to the application must be submitted via the competent
authority in the Member State concerned within a time limit of five months from the date of this
publication. Supporting arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under points 4.2, 4.3
and 4.4, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2082/92

APPLICATION FOR THE REGISTRATION OF A CERTIFICATE OF SPECIFIC CHARACTER

National application No: —

1. Responsible department in the Member State

Name:

Maa- ja metsätalousministeriö — MAO/Maaseutu- ja rakenneyksikkö (Finnish Ministery of
Agriculture and Forestry — Department of Agriculture — Rural Policy and Structural Policy
Unit)

Address: PL 30, FIN-00023 Valtioneuvosto

Tel.

Fax

(358-9) 160 29 01

(358-9) 160 91 66.

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name:

Pohjois-Karjalan Maaseutukseskus/Maa- ja kotitalousnaisten piirikeskus

2.2. Address:

PL 5 (Koskikatu 11 C), FIN-80101 Joensuu

Tel.

Fax

(358-13) 611 33 45

(358-13) 611 33 99

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (

)

other (x).

3. Type of product: Pastries.

4. Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 6(2)):

4.1. Name: Karjalanpiirakka.

4.2. Special production or manufacturing method: The production of karjalanpiirakka starts by
cooking the filling. The filling is usually a purée of barley or rice or mashed potato. Instead of
these, cooked mashed vegetables (e.g. swede, carrot, turnip or stewed cabbage or mushrooms) may
also be used. The dough that will hold this filling is prepared from water, salt and rye- or
wheatflour. The dough is rolled into as thin, round, almost translucent ‘piirakka’ dough shapes
as possible. The thinness of the shape ensures the karjalanpiirakka's crispiness. The edges of the
shape are brought up over the filling and crimped. The pirrakka is then baked in a hot oven (about
250-300 °C) for 15-20 minutes. The rapid baking and high heat are necessary to preserve the
product's succulence.

27.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 102/15

The filling is prepared by bringing 1 litre (1 kg) of milk or water to the boil and then mixing in 2
decilitres (80 g) of hulled grain rice or barley. A rice purée is cooked for a half to one hour; a
barley purée is cooked for longer. Approximately 275-350 g of flour and 200 g of water are used
in the dough.

The cooked piirakka is often coated immediately after baking or when being heated up. The
coating can be butter, oil or a water/milk mixture of the two; egg is also sometimes used.

4.3. Traditional character: Karjalanpiirakka is prepared using a traditional method of preparing and
combining the raw ingredients. Data on traditional piirakka-style pasties, comprising an outer crust
and a filling, can be found across an area extending as far as Siberia and China. Karelia forms the
northwestern boundary of this piirakka zone. Of the various forms of piirakka produced in Karelia,
the elliptical, open type came to be called the karjalanpiirakka as its use spread beyond Karelia.

The karjalanpiirakka spread in the 1600-1700s throughout what is now southern Finland, from
where migrating Karelians then brought it to the rest of Finland and even into Sweden. The first
written reference to karjalanpiirakka dates from 1686.

4.4. Description of the product: The karjalanpiirakka is a small, open, flat pasty, comprising a thin
crust and a filling. It is usually between 7-20 cm long. The karjalanpiirakka is mainly elliptical, but
can also be round. The crust is open on top. The sides of the crust are drawn up over the filling
and crimped. The karjalanpiirakka has a crispy crust. The crust usually makes up about a third of
the entire product and the filling accounts for about two-thirds.

4.5. Minimum requirements and inspection procedures to which specific character is subject: The
production facility makes sure during the preparation stage that the dough is rolled out, as stated
in 4.2 above, into round or elliptical shapes that are as thin as possible and have a diameter of
between 10-24 cm. The filling is then placed on top, about 1-2 cm from the edges, which are then
drawn up over the filling so that the piirakka remains open in the middle. These are the deter-
mining factors for the traditional production method. The production facility also makes sure
during preparation that the piirakka is baked at 250-300 °C, as stated in 4.2 above, for 15-20
minutes, so that the high temperature and rapid baking time produce a crispy crust, thereby
influencing the karjalanpiirakka's taste.

Samples are taken of the final product at the production facility and at the distribution centre to
establish its chemical and organoleptic properties (using official standard procedures, such as IDF
or ISO). Its microbiological properties are also checked to calculate bacteria levels.

5. Application for reservation under Article 13(2): Yes.

EC No: S/FI/00015/98.09.21.

Date of receipt of full application: 9 February 2001.