Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 8(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 509/2006 on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialities guaranteed

2009/C 104/07

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No 509/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A TSG

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 509/2006

‘IDRIJSKI ŽLIKROFI’

EC No: SI-TSG-007-0026-29.10.2004

1.   Name and address of the applicant group:

2.   Member State or third country:

Republic of Slovenia

3.   Product specification:

3.1.   Name to be registered:

‘Idrijski žlikrofi’

The statement to be translated into foreign languages is ‘produced in the traditional Slovenian way’.

3.2.   Please state whether the name:

The name Idrijski žlikrofi does not express the specific character of the product, but is traditionally used to describe this product, as shown by various oral and written sources mentioned in point 3.8.

3.3.   Is reservation of the name sought under Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 509/2006?:

3.4.   Nature of produce:

3.5.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1 applies:

Idrijski žlikrofi are a traditional dish made from dough with a potato filling. They have the characteristic shape of a hat. The ingredients needed to make the dough are flour, eggs, oil, and water or milk as needed. The filling may be made only of potato with added onion, fat (minced lard or minced smoked bacon) and marjoram, chives, black pepper and salt.

After cooking, the Idrijski žlikrofi must have the stipulated characteristic shape, aroma, texture and scent.

Typical shape of a žlikrof: dough pressed on both sides with a little hollow in the top, of uniform size and shape, with no irregularities, of suitably firm texture, with no obvious overcooking or softness of the dough, with a surface that is uniformly yellowish in colour, with no visible starch.

Scent: intense and typical scent. No excessively marked scent of herbs, additives or even of rancidity in the filling.

Aroma: characteristic and intense aroma of a žlikrof (pasta and filling) with a taste of potato, fat (which is not predominant), additives and spices that harmoniously complement the aroma.

Texture: texture that gives a pleasant sensation in the mouth, characteristic of several rather firm starchy dishes. No signs of stickiness of the dough and filling, which are light and soft. The herbs are finely chopped and the crackling and fried lard must be in very small pieces.

Overall impression: the appearance, scent, aroma and texture of the žlikrof determine its overall acceptability.

3.6.   Description of the production method of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1 applies:

The various stages of production of Idrijski žlikrofi are as follows:

Traditional ingredients for about 150 Idrijski žlikrofi:

Dough: up to 300 g white flour, 1-2 eggs, oil, and water or milk, as needed in order to make the dough softer.

Filling: 500 g potatoes, up to 50 g of minced lard or minced smoked bacon, up to 50 g of onions, herbs and seasoning (salt, black pepper, marjoram and chives) to produce a harmonious aroma.

The fat that may be used to prepare the žlikrofi is lard or minced smoked bacon. The fat must be of high quality and fresh. It is unacceptable, in particular, for rancid lard or bacon to be used.

Producers who sell frozen žlikrofi to their customers must use less seasoning and a heavier dough in order to preserve the organoleptic characteristics of the žlikrofi throughout their shelf life; so, for the same quantity of filling, they need to use the following ingredients for the dough: 400-500 g white flour, up to four eggs, oil and water or milk, as needed.

Preparation and rolling of the dough

The flour, eggs and water or milk are mixed together to make the dough, which should be softer than for noodles. The dough is kneaded until it becomes flexible and elastic and no longer sticks to the hands and board. If it is cut, it should be dense and have no holes. Then it is shaped into a small loaf, which is coated with oil, covered so that it does not dry out and left to rest for at least half an hour.

Preparation of filling and shaping the filling into balls

The filling for žlikrofi is made out of boiled potatoes that are mashed while still warm. The onion fried in fat (minced lard or minced smoked bacon) is added to the warm potato, and then the seasoning (salt and black pepper) and herbs (marjoram and chives) are mixed in. All the ingredients are mixed together thoroughly to make a smooth mixture. The filling must be neither crumbly nor too soft, so extra fat may be added if required. The filling is shaped by hand into evenly sized small balls roughly 1-1,5 cm in diameter. The individual stages of machine production may differ from those of manual production (e.g. the filling is squirted on, instead of being formed into balls), but the final product – Idrijski žlikrof – must preserve all its characteristics.

Making the žlikrofi

The dough — prepared earlier and left to rest — is rolled out to a thickness of about 2 mm. The balls of filling are placed at a suitable distance from each other (one finger) on the rolled out dough. The dough is folded over and pressed between the balls of filling so that it sticks together and little ‘ears’ are formed. A little hollow is made in the top of each žlikrof, taking care not to tear the dough. That is how žlikrofi take on their characteristic hat shape. The maximum dimensions of a typical Idrijski žlikrof, when raw, are about 3 cm long and 2 cm high (the height is measured in the middle of the žlikrof, with the žlikrof being slightly higher at the sides).

Packing and freezing of žlikrofi

Prepared Idrijski žlikrofi that are intended for storage are frozen and packed in accordance with the sanitary/technical regulations and the provisions of the regulations on the general labelling of pre-packed foodstuffs.

Cooking of žlikrofi

The žlikrofi are tossed into boiling salted water, stirred and covered. When they rise and come back to the boil, they are cooked. They should be served immediately.

3.7.   Specific character of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

Idrijski žlikrofi differ from other types of filled pasta by their shape, their specific filling, their traditional recipe and the way in which they are made. They have the characteristic shape of an old French hat (Napoleonic hat).

The recipe has not changed significantly since the first references to Idrijski žlikrofi (same ingredients and comparable ratio between them). What is special is the filling, which is made of potatoes with minced lard or minced smoked bacon, onions and herbs and seasoning. Idrijski žlikrofi are made in a specific way, since they are pressed on both sides and a little hollow is made in the top.

3.8.   Traditional character of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

Idrija has long been famous for this culinary speciality, which is documented in several written sources, and there are also numerous oral sources. Idrijski žlikrofi are produced from traditional ingredients according to a long-established traditional procedure.

The oldest written source (Božič Lado: Naš idrijski kot) dates from 1936. It tells how žlikrofi were served only on special days and that various types of žlikrofi exist: potato, meat, pickled turnip, žlikrofi with ‘bakalca’ (mutton) sauce or larded with cracklings or a special buttery dressing called masovnik. The chapter Rudarjeva družina (miner’s family) states that ‘…žlikrofi only on important days: potato žlikrofi, meat žlikrofi or žlikrofi with pickled turnips, mutton sauce or larded with cracklings or a special buttery dressing called masovnik’.

The second source (Karl Bezek: Fond Doprinos k zgodovini Idrije) is from 1956. The author, Karl Bezek, described traditional dishes and drinks. He writes that Idrijski žlikrofi were the most popular dish, which was known far and wide. He quotes the following in the book: ‘…the most popular dish, which is known far and wide and which is not made in the same way anywhere else, is the famous žlikrof. Žlikrofi resemble Viennese “Schlickkrapferl”, which are small filled dough parcels, but with a different content’. The author goes on to say that Idrijski žlikrofi are mentioned on numerous occasions in various articles, that a recipe has even been published for them, but that no-one has researched their origin. As far as the history of žlikrofi is concerned, he cites accounts of people in the 1840–1850s that žlikrofi were sold publicly in a raw state at that time. Mrs Harmel, an innkeeper, told the author that žlikrofi were believed to have been brought to Idrija from Transylvania. An old inhabitant of Idrija claimed that the dish was brought to Idrija by the Wernberger family in about 1814, which is also confirmed by a descendant of this family. Here is a further quotation from the book:‘Since family tradition and other accounts tally, there is no doubt that the first žlikrofi appeared in Idrija after the return of Ivan to Idrija and subsequently the return of his family. It probably took several years for this dish to become established in Idrija, since other recipes are said to have been tested, along the lines of the Czech and Viennese recipes for similar products. That is how our idrijski žlikrofi came into being after 1814 until, in the middle of the last century, through local development, they took on the special flavour and shape that they have today’.

The third source, Mohorjev koledar (1989), puts Idrijski žlikrofi at the top of a list of characteristic Idrijan dishes and drinks. It contains the traditional recipe for making Idrijski žlikrofi, which is still used today.

3.9.   Minimum requirements and procedures to check the specific character:

4.   Authorities or bodies verifying compliance with the product specification:

4.1.   Name and address:

 Public Private

4.2.   Specific tasks of the authority or body:

Bureau Veritas is responsible for verifying all the phases stipulated in the specifications for Idrijski žlikrofi.