EN
18.7.2023
Official Journal of the European Union
C 253/29
— ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ followed by the acronym IGP [PGI] or the words ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ [Protected Geographical Indication]; — name and address, or company name and registered office, of the individual producer and/or association of producers and/or the packer.
It is permitted to use references to names, business names or brand names provided these have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer.
The words Indicazione Geografica Protetta or the acronym I.G.P. may be repeated elsewhere on the container or the label.
It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for.
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4.
Concise definition of the geographical area The area where ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ PGI is produced covers the administrative territory of the municipalities of Canino, Cellere, Montalto di Castro, Tarquinia, Tuscania, Tessennano and Arlena di Castro.
5.
Link with the geographical area The application for recognition of ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ is based both on the reputation and on the distinctive quality of the product, given its bright green colour, consistency, flavour and the fact that it can be eaten in its entirety without any wastage, hence its nickname ‘mangiatutto’ [‘eat it all’] in Italian.
It is rich in mineral salts such as iron and magnesium.
The bright green colour which is typical of ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ comes from the area’s unique pedo-climatic conditions and its volcanic soils, which are rich in potassium and mineral salts (particularly iron and magnesium) that visibly influence and determine the colour.
The concept of ‘mangiatutto’ (‘eat it all’) is linked to the fact that the product is not stringy and that it is harvested by cutting the spear above ground level, thus leaving behind the whiter part, which is fibrous, hard, and unpleasant to eat.
This agronomic and technical peculiarity allows the consumer to enjoy the entire product, hence its nickname of ‘mangiatutto’.
These characteristics are determined, irrespective of genetics, by the favourable agricultural, soil and climate conditions and the growing techniques used by local farmers in the area referred to in point 4.
The terrain plays a key role: the soil characteristics of the growing area lend themselves readily to the cultivation of asparagus.
The soils in the area in question are predominantly loam to sandy clay loam.
The soils mostly overlay terraced limestone surfaces and volcanic deposits with good chemical fertility, making it easy for the shoots of ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ to emerge.
The hydrological characteristics of the soils prevent waterlogging during rainy periods.
In particular, the soils have high levels of calcium, potassium and, above all, iron and magnesium, hence the fact that iron and magnesium content is a quality characteristic of ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ PGI.
The area’s climatic conditions are particularly favourable thanks to the presence of a microclimate which suits this vegetable and which is also the result of the relative proximity of the sea.
Mild winters and springs encourage the early growth of the asparagus crowns, which generally begin to put out shoots suitable for harvesting as early as the beginning of January.