Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2), point (b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2025-01-31
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Andalusia, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, dried product, frozen product, labelling, mollusc, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, refrigerated product








C_202500779EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/779


31.1.2025






Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2), point (b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
(C/2025/779)

Following this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 61 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) an opposition with the Commission within 3 months from the date of this publication.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A TRADITIONAL SPECIALITY GUARANTEED


                     ‘Pulpo Seco de Adra’
                  


EU No: TSG-ES-02995 — 18.9.2023
                  

1.   Name to be registered


               ‘Pulpo Seco de Adra’
            
2.   Type of product

Class 1.7. Fresh fish, molluscs and crustaceans and products derived therefrom
Combined Nomenclature code
0307 — Molluscs, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine
3.   Grounds for registration

3.1.   Whether the product







 


results from a mode of production, processing or composition corresponding to traditional practice for that product or foodstuff;
Pulpo seco de Adra is a product made from the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), traditionally sourced from the fishing ground of Adra in Almería, south-east Spain. It undergoes a distinctive preparation process. Thanks to its rocky bed and the influence of the marine currents, as with other fishing grounds of the Mediterranean, the Adra fishing ground produces octopus with characteristics suitable for this type of preparation.










 


is produced from raw materials or ingredients that are those traditionally used.




3.2.   Whether the name







 


identifies the traditional character or specific character of the product.
The salting and drying industry that has existed in the city of Adra for over 200 years has enabled this product to develop in a traditional way and become a speciality of the city of Adra. The traditional preparation gives the product its special characteristics and renowned quality.










 


has been traditionally used to refer to the specific product.




4.   Description

4.1.   Description of the product to which the name under point 1 applies, including its main physical, chemical, microbiological or organoleptic characteristics showing the product’s specific character

Physical characteristics
The product consists of the dried limbs of the common octopus weighing at least 100 g. The characteristic pink colour of the product comes from the surface of the limbs. The suckers are a deeper reddish-pink colour.
The moisture content after drying ranges from 67 % to 72 %. The measurement is taken 2 cm below the point at which the limb is severed.
Organoleptic characteristics
The dried octopus is characterised by its sensory quality, and has the following characteristics:






—


reddish-pink colour of medium to low intensity;










—


intense seafood aroma, reminiscent of sea urchin/algae/shellfish, pleasant and fresh, with a profound and lasting taste;










—


smooth, very supple and firm texture, highly flavoured with a juicy, springy and chewable consistency.




4.2.   Description of the production method of the product to which the name under point 1 applies that the producers must follow including, where appropriate, the nature and characteristics of the raw materials or ingredients used, and the method by which the product is prepared

The procedure for preparing ‘Pulpo seco de Adra’ consists of the following steps:






a)


Acquiring the product
Common octopuses are acquired freshly killed and healthy, each with a minimum weight of 1,5 kg and a maximum weight of 3,5 kg. Traditionally they come from the Adra fishing ground, although they may come from other similar rocky fishing grounds. Throughout the cold chain, they are kept chilled at 4 °C, and stored for no more than 24 hours in a chiller.










b)


First cutting and external cleaning
Firstly, the head is cut off below the eyes and discarded. The clean and headless octopuses are placed in a receptacle to be rinsed with seawater or brine with 3 % salt in order to clean them of any external slime.










c)


Second cutting and cleaning the limbs
Each octopus is then cleaned with a brush in a bucket of seawater or brine with 3 % salt until the exterior is entirely free of all slimy residues, traditionally known as ‘baba’ (‘gobs’) in Spanish.
The octopuses are taken one by one and the limbs are cut off individually and sorted by diameter or size.










d)


Freezing
The limbs are packaged, labelled and sorted by size, placed in boxes, wrapped in plastic film. The octopuses are then placed in blast freezers at minus 38 °C for a minimum period of 120 minutes. They are then transferred to the freezer at a temperature between minus 18 °C and minus 20 °C for a minimum of 7 days: the minimum time necessary for all the fibres to break.










e)


Defrosting
Prior to preparation, the octopus is defrosted by being placed in a chiller for at least 24 hours.










f)


Treatment in brine
The limbs are placed in a receptacle and submerged in brine made with sea salt suitable for preservation purposes, with between 8 % and 10 % salt (depending on the size of the limb) for a minimum period of 15 minutes.










g)


Drying
One by one, each limb is drained and hung separately on a special rack to dry. The rack is composed of hooks so that none of the limbs touch each other or any other part of the rack.
The moisture is removed in drying rooms at ambient temperature (between 18 °C and 24 °C) with forced circulation of marine air, naturally rich in saltpetre, in facilities located close to the sea, to benefit from the sea air, for a period of between 24 and 30 hours depending on the size of the octopus limbs.










h)


Packaging
When this drying has finished, the limbs are taken down, or unhooked, and then placed on a fully sanitised table to be packaged.
Finally, the limbs are vacuum-packed, labelled and sorted into batches. They are kept chilled at between 4 °C and 5 °C, or they are placed in a blast freezer at minus 38 °C for a minimum of 120 minutes before being transferred to a freezer at a temperature of between minus 18 °C and minus 20 °C.










i)


Availability for sale
The product is made available for sale chilled or frozen, maintaining the cold chain at all times.










j)


Traditional consumption
The limbs are removed from the vacuum packaging and placed in an oven at a temperature of 180 °C for a period of 20 minutes.
They are then cut into slices and served with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
The dried octopus can be used in any recipe that uses octopus, increasing and enhancing its marine flavour.




4.3.   Description of the key elements establishing the product’s traditional character

Reference to the raw material
For dried octopus, the raw material comes from common octopuses of the species Octopus vulgaris, with a minimum weight of 1,5 kg and a maximum weight of 3,5 kg. They are traditionally caught in the fishing ground of Adra, although they may come from other similar rocky fishing grounds.
Specificity of the product. Historical documentation
The earliest archaeological evidence dates back to the Phoenician period, and it can be assumed that fishing and fish salting took place in Adra and the surrounding area. Nevertheless, it was in the period of the Reconquista that documentary evidence confirms the existence of a fish salting and drying industry, with various sources from the 18th century in the historical archive Archivo General de Simancas. Specifically, it is clear that the practice and profits of fishing directly benefited the coffers of the crown, as well as contributing additional taxes from drying fish and the use of salt.
In the following centuries, the area experienced several periods of prosperity and recession associated with the fisheries sector. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century, with improvements in communication infrastructure and the start of the construction of the port of Adra, that fishing in the area really took off.
The first specific report of a commercial nature concerning dried octopus in Almería appeared several years after the Civil War. In the second half of the 1950s, the local press of Granada and Almería reported octopus prices, both fresh and dried, stating that a kilo of fresh octopus cost about 7 pesetas in the market (El Ideal newspaper, 5 December 1956).
Even today, information can be found in the collective memory on the use of dried octopus in the busy eating houses of Adra. Two individuals, related to each other, were known to have used and popularised the use of the product in the area. Firstly, there was Lorenzo José Montero Fernández, known as ‘El Gallego’ (‘The Galician’). Originally from Ferrol, he was a diver who came to the area to work on the extension of the port in 1956. Several years later, he ended up running a small tapas bar (personal communication: Antonia Montero Herrera). Secondly, and undoubtedly the better known, there was the bar run by José Espin which, at the time of increasing tourism in the 1970s, proved a turning point with reports identifying and demonstrating the effect of this product both within and beyond Adra. As a guide, it can be seen that dried octopus from Adra was sold in 35 kilo bags at a price of 105 pesetas (newspaper Diario Yugo de Almería, 16 July 1960). This is why, in Adra, José Espin was considered the person who developed this product at very low initial costs and very high quality, together with very high sales and profitability (personal communication: Manuel Vargas).
Other written references include the volume Historia de la alimentación rural y tradicional: recetario de Almería [History of rural and traditional food: recipes of Almería] (2003). In the section on traditional dishes of Hoya de Adra, on page 209, it says: ‘Farmers and fishers have existed throughout history, thanks to which we can enjoy dishes containing the best of land and sea. Among the most typical are... dried octopus’.
There is also a recipe book published by the municipal authority of Adra through the Rural and Fishery Development Group of Poniente Almeriense. On page 10, it says: ‘speaking of a “star” fishery product, it’s very difficult to choose from all of them, but if we had to pick just one particularly associated with the culinary traditions of the people of Adra, without doubt it would be octopus, in its multiple forms: stewed, dried...’
               
In 2018, in its section on Andalusia, the online newspaper el diario.es published an article which mentioned the origin of ‘Pulpo Seco de Adra’. Referring to a bar in Motril, it says: ‘They were running the bar when it first opened in 1978 and a friend from Adra, where octopus is common, told them how to do it. They tried it and liked it very much and it remained there for good’.
In the early years of the 21st century, the fishing industry and various public administrations endeavoured to boost this traditional activity. Previously it had been a small-scale activity, at family and local level, as well as being part of a gastronomy with its own Adra brand. Dried octopus is now considered to be a jewel of the gastronomic tradition of Adra, with its origins linked to the fishers themselves and the drying process in the area. There have been various national and international awards, for example the international ‘Premio Excelencia Gourmet’ (newspaper La Voz, 19 January 2018). These awards led to an initiative of local businesses: the creation of the Asociación del Pulpo Seco de Adra (APUSEDRA) (dried octopus of Adra association). The population of Adra has always supported the consumption and promotion of dried octopus. The local council has produced audiovisual presentations and, recently, has developed a tapas route for this product.
In summary it can be said that, historically in Adra, octopus was used by individuals connected with the local fishery sector to feed themselves, with a small retail production of limited reach. This was typical of any species of a seasonal nature in fisheries. Furthermore, the strongest sign of identity and of being established in the local community is associated with the way the dried octopus is prepared and consumed in the local hospitality sector, persisting to this day within and beyond Adra.
Finally, and to sum up, we can say that the main elements in the preparation are the traditional salting and drying. These have remained unaltered since the 1950s, passed down from parents to children in the oral tradition.


(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/779/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)