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
Date: 2014-12-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Portugal, consumer information, designation of origin, foodstuff, pastry-making, product designation




C_2014461EN.01004601.xml










20.12.2014   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 461/46





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
(2014/C 461/19)
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

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
 (2)


‘PASTEL DE CHAVES’


EC No: PT-PGI-0005-1126-2.7.2013


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name


‘Pastel de Chaves’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Portugal
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 2.3. Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in 1 applies

‘Pastel de Chaves’ is a half-moon shaped pastry product consisting of thinly-layered puff pastry filled with a special preparation of minced veal. It comes in two different sizes, cooked or pre-frozen and has the following physical and organoleptic characteristics:
Table 1


Physical characteristics: minimum and maximum values for the two different sizes of ‘Pastel de Chaves’











 


Pastel de Chaves


Pastel de Chaves

aperitivo





Min.


Max.


Min.


Max.




Length (cm)


12


14


8


9




Width (cm)


6


8,5


5


6




Height (cm)


3


4,5


2


3




Weight (g)


60


90


20


30







Table 2


Organoleptic characteristics








External appearance


A half-moon shaped puff pastry, whose upper surface rises higher at the front where the pastry ‘splits’ during baking. When baked the colour ranges from toasted yellow to golden.




Internal appearance


When the pastry is cut vertically, it can be seen to consist of very thin sheets, which give it a finely layered appearance. The upper half of the pastry is yellow-golden in colour, contrasting with the lower half, which is slightly moist and darkened by the minced meat. In the middle is the filling, where the different ingredients, notably pieces of meat and onion, can be seen.




Texture


Firm, crisp puff pastry which contrasts markedly with the filling, which is thick, soft, moist, succulent and melts in the mouth.




Taste


During cooking, the juices of the minced veal preparation are released and some of this seeps into the puff pastry, giving the final product its characteristic taste and aroma. When eaten, the puff pastry is simultaneously crispy and unctuous and melts in the mouth, and the filling soft, unctuous, moist and aromatic, with perceptible flavours of veal, olive oil and onion.




3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

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


Preparing the filling

Know-how is crucial at this stage in determining when the filling has reached an optimal degree of softness and cohesiveness, which is essentially done empirically, on the basis of the baker’s knowledge and experience.
Preparing the dough, putting in the filling and giving the pastry its final shape
These procedures clearly demonstrate the bakers’ know-how, as a great deal of skill and manual dexterity is required to obtain half-moon shaped pastries of uniform size, with the finely layered appearance and firm, crispy texture that are so characteristic of this product.

Pre-freezing

Once the half-moon shapes are ready, some bakers then pre-freeze them immediately. This is done at the production facilities to avoid unwanted handling and reduce the possibility of microbiological contamination.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

—
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling

Irrespective of the form of commercial presentation, the labelling must bear the words:






—


Pastel de Chaves – Indicação Geográfica Protegida or Pastel de Chaves IGP;










—


the ‘Pastel de Chaves’ logo:







4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Municipality of Chaves.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

From 1862, until today, the know-how associated with the production of ‘Pastel de Chaves’ has remained within the confines of the municipality.
Difficult access to the area, which until not so long ago meant that it was not easy to enter or leave the Chaves valley, helped ensure that this know-how remained within the region of origin.
This is a key factor in the history of the recipe, which for over 75 years was in the possession of one single establishment, the Casa do Antigo Pasteleiro, where the original oven can still be seen today. Only in the 1940s did evidence start appearing in local publications that the secret no longer belonged exclusively to a single establishment, with ‘Pastel de Chaves’ becoming the area’s signature pastry product. Some of the advertisements reflect the importance that the product had acquired at national level, stating that orders could be sent ‘anywhere in the country, on receipt of advance payment’ (Almanaque de Chaves, 1949).
In the Municipality of Chaves, there is written and oral evidence attesting that ‘as far back as 1862 the Pastel was being produced in Chaves by the first pasteleira, Teresa Feliz Barreira.’ (Notícias de Chaves, Year XXXVII – No 1921, 22 April 1987). The tradition and know-how have been handed down until today and a clear sign of the product’s link with the area is the name ‘Pastel de Chaves’ and the fact that no similar products or even imitations are produced in neighbouring areas. For 150 years Chaves pastry makers have been building up knowledge of how to make the filling and the dough, which has resulted in this pastry, whose reputation is directly linked with its place of origin.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Pastel de Chaves’ can be distinguished from other bakery products by its half-moon shape and finely layered crisp puff pastry, made by hand in the traditional way, and by the texture of the filling, which is thick, soft, moist, succulent and melts in the mouth.
The production method used to obtain the fine, delicate dough and the filling containing pieces of meat and onion bound together by the bread, is based on the know-how developed over the years by the bakers of Chaves.
First, the special method of preparing the dough, which involves rolling it out then rolling in the fat and folding is done three times, culminating in the formation of a roll of dough which is then cut into slices 2-3 cm wide, clearly demonstrates the know-how of the local bakers, as great skill and manual dexterity are required to obtain pastries that are uniform in size, with the finely layered appearance and firm and crispy texture characteristic of this product.
Second, the preparation of the filling, which combines well-cooked meat with small pieces of hard wheat bread, ensuring the cohesiveness and softness of the preparation, is reflected in the quality of the final product and the appearance of the filling itself, where pieces of meat and onion can be seen, firmly bound together by the bread.
Third, the know-how employed when handling such a fine dough is crucial in shaping the pastry and together with the filling gives this savoury product a specific external and internal appearance and a consistency, flavour and texture that make it unique.
The specificity of ‘Pastel de Chaves’ derives from the know-how employed in making the dough and the filling and giving the pastry its final shape.
5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

‘Pastel de Chaves’ is the direct result of the know-how required to prepare the puff pastry and the filling, whose ‘history goes back to 1862, when a seller of unknown origin passed through the town of Chaves with a basket containing some unusually shaped pastries, which she did not have in sufficient quantities to meet demand. In order to satisfy the local appetite, Teresa Feliz Barreira, the founder of the Casa do Antigo Pasteleiro, is said to have offered to pay one pound for the recipe for this unique delicacy’ (Revista Unibanco, January/February 2004).
The local methods, which have remained virtually unchanged for over 150 years, and the know-how that remained within the same establishment — the Casa do Antigo Pasteleiro — for over 75 years, combined with the fact that the town of Chaves is situated in a wide valley, dominated by granite and schist rising to over 1 084 metres, and for a long time access was difficult, meant that this knowledge remained confined to the region of origin; nor has any similar product been prepared in the surrounding geographical areas.
‘Pastel de Chaves’ lingers in the memory and on the palate and has gained a prominent place in Portugal’s culinary repertoire. It deserves the title ‘Portugal’s best puff pastry’ (Revista Unibanco, January/February 2004).
The reputation and renown of ‘Pastel de Chaves’, associated exclusively with the municipality of Chaves for over 150 years, are well documented.

Publication reference of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))
http://www.dgadr.mamaot.pt/images/docs/val/dop_igp_etg/Valor/CE_pastel_chaves_2012.pdf


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  See footnote 2.