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 17 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.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Aglonas maizes veistūklis'

EU No: PGI-LV-03015 — 18.10.2023

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Aglonas maizes veistūklis'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Latvia

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

‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ is a rye bread with pieces of dried pork fat and onions baked into it.

External appearance and shape: a long loaf with rounded ends approximately four times longer than it is wide. There are three grooves on each side of the top crust. Crust: dark, smooth, shiny. The crumb, when cut in cross-section, is dark, with larger or smaller pores, elastic, and may be slightly moist. The pieces of pork fat and onion are placed on one side of the dough base.

Physical characteristics

Flavour of the product: ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ combines the flavours of four of its ingredients: rye bread, dried pork fat, caraway seeds and onions. The flavours are kept in by the smooth, glossy, dark brown crust of the coarse rye bread loaf. Cutting the loaf crosswise brings out and combines each of the flavours contained in the slices, bringing delight to the taste buds.

Aroma: aromas of baked rye bread and deciduous wood smoke and those characteristic of smoked pork fat, fresh caraway seeds and onion. The overall aroma is mouth-wateringly pleasant.

Colour: ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ has a dark brown, glossy crust, and the characteristically dark brown hue of the bread crumb is visible in cross-section. The brown crumb contains pieces of dried pork fat and onion whose colour ranges from pure white to slightly yellow.

Texture: a moderately hard crust, a soft coarse rye crumb, a slightly porous structure and soft pieces of dried pork fat. Gently pressing on ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ leaves a slight indentation, but the loaf then springs back. One of the loaf’s superb characteristics is that it is elastic rather than hard.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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

The following production stages in production take place in the geographical area: the preparation of the rye dough (mixing, fermentation and kneading of the dough), the cutting up of the dried pork fat and onions for the filling, the shaping of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’, the placing of the filling on one side of the dough base and the rolling of the filling into the dough, and the shaping, smoothing and baking of the loaf. ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ is baked on maple leaves in an alder- and aspen-wood-fired bread oven for 50-56 minutes, or in an electric oven at +300 °C for approximately 10 minutes, then at +250 °C for 15 minutes and at +180 °C for 10 minutes. Once the loaves are baked, they are sprinkled with cold water, covered with a wet cloth and cooled, and each loaf is then packaged.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

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3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The civil parish of Aglona in Latgale, Latvia.

Aglona civil parish is a territorial unit of the municipality of Preiļi and located on the southern shore of Lake Rušons in the north-east of the municipality. Aglona civil parish borders on the civil parishes of Grāveri, Kastuļina and Šķeltova in the municipality of Krāslava, the civil parishes of Ambeļi and Višķi in the municipality of Augšdaugava, and the civil parish of Rušona in the municipality of Preiļi. The administrative centre of the civil parish is Aglona.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The basis for the link with the geographical area is the product’s reputation, which is founded on long-standing historical traditions and characteristics, in particular a production method that has remained unchanged since the end of the 19th century. In Latgale, specifically in Aglona, bread was baked on every farm to meet the family’s needs, and the household had all the equipment it needed to do so – a mill for grinding the grain, kneading troughs, bread shovels and home-made brick ovens. Much was preserved and passed down from generation to generation. The method used to produce the product and the recipe have also been preserved and have not changed since the end of the 19th century in this geographical area. ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ still has to be prepared by hand, starting with the preparation and fermentation of the scalded flour and followed by the kneading of the rye dough, the shaping of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’, the filling of the dough base with pieces of dried pork fat and onion, the rolling of those pieces into the dough and the baking of the product.

In olden times in this region, the ‘veistūklis’ was baked in households exclusively for own consumption (see V. Kudiņa’s recollections of her experiences in the periodical Praktiskais Latvietis, L. Mežniece in the periodical Mājas Labumi, I. Čekstere in the book Mūsu maize [‘Our Daily Bread’]. This fact is mentioned in encyclopaedias by the academic J. Kursīte). The toponym ‘Aglonas’ was added to the name of the product 22 years ago when it began to be produced according to the ancestral method in a bakery (a bakery opened in Aglona in 2000, offering a wide assortment of breads for sale, including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’), but our region’s ancient recipe and manual work continue to be used in all processes.

The ‘maizes veistūklis’ has long been a specific, important and richly satisfying product , eaten both as daily fare and at festivities. It has been a great treat for children in every day and age. It used to be eaten with curdled milk or buttermilk; nowadays it is accompanied by other sour milk drinks (kefir, ryazhenka) as well. The baking of various varieties of bread, including the preparation of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’, is still very important in Aglona, bread remaining a basic source of sustenance. The Bread Museum, founded in 2005, showcases bread from Aglona, including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’. Conversely, respect for and promotion of bread-making traditions help develop and promote the work of the Aglona Bread Museum, which attracts over 13 000 tourists a year. This piques people’s interest in the importance and value of bread.

The people who prepare and bake ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ are the descendants of families living in the area defined in point 4. The recollections of bakery manager Vija Kudiņa stretching back more than 50 years were published in the magazine Praktiskais Latvietis in 2023: ‘For as long as I can remember, the ‘maizes veistūklis’ was always there. My mother, who lived in this geographical region, was much in demand as a cook for festive occasions, and as a young child I would accompany her to the homes where those celebrations were taking place; even a live wire such as me could be useful in the kitchen. I was curious and inquisitive and watched in awe at how the great home cooks worked. I took note of things. I asked questions. And it was the ‘maizes veistūklis’ that struck me most: it turned out that it could be a food for festive occasions and not just something baked at home for children. At our house, 8 kilometres away from Aglona, it took the form of a small loaf, made from dough left over after baking a batch of bread. This little loaf has accompanied me wherever I’ve gone in life, and for the last 22 years, since the opening of the Aglona bakery – and following that, the Aglona Bread Museum – it has been there, lined up on the shelves and on the tables alongside the other breads, promoting Aglona and Latgale’s culinary heritage.’

The link between ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ and its production area is based on the reputation of this special bread and the know-how of the people of this region who make it, which they do in such a way that it retains the characteristics described in point 3.2.

The reputation of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ stems mainly from the immutable tradition, passed down within families from generation to generation over a long period of time, of baking the bread in brick ovens they have built themselves, producing bread which is perfectly identical in terms of composition and appearance and whose uniqueness has won the hearts of consumers.

The product is most widely known and consumed in Aglona and its surroundings, but it turns up in fairs right across Latgale. Thanks to the tourism industry, its visibility has increased significantly over the years, not only in Latvia, but also in neighbouring countries.

The reputation of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ is attested to by its ready commercial availability and the fact that its production has been demonstrated at the ‘Riga Food’ international product fair, at events held at the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, at the BALTICA international folklore festivals, as well as at local festivals such as those held annually in the cities and towns of Latgale such as Rēzekne, Daugavpils, Ludza, Dagda, Preiļi, Krāslava, at the gathering of Latvia’s festive home cooks in Mežaparks in Riga, at workshops for adults and young people in Riga, Vidzeme and Kurzeme, and at commercial stands and tastings at countless fairs. The small ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ loaves bearing the symbol of Aglona and decorated with ears of rye and floral motifs (depending on the season), are also popular at smaller events such as family celebrations, harvests, sowings, seasonal celebrations, etc.

Since the Aglona Bread Museum was set up in 2005, ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ and the museum have been inseparable. This is illustrated by the publication ‘Uz Aglonu pēc īstas senču maizes rikas’ [‘To Aglona for a slice of real ancestral bread’] (TVNET, 9 August 2005): ‘At the Aglona Museum they have started to bake “Aglonas maizes veistūklis’. Vija says that in olden times, Latvians had large families and baked bread that would last longer. They used to fill the last piece of dough with pork fat (). It is expensive bread, to be sure, but you can sate your appetite with a single slice.” The Museum is visited every year by tourists from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Finland, England and other countries. Tourists are introduced to Latgale’s special bread varieties, primarily “Aglonas maizes veistūklis”, the preparation of which is also demonstrated. The product is then tasted and offered for sale, as everybody wants to take “Aglonas maizes veistūklis” home with them as a gift for their family.

The visitors’ book of the Bread Museum contains a lot of complimentary feedback, both about the warm welcome and the delicious Latgalian dishes, including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’, as bread of this type is to be found nowhere else. The museum organises masterclasses for school pupils to teach them how to bake bread (including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’). These events have been held as part of the ‘Latvijas skolas soma’ [‘Latvian school bag’] programme, the Latgale-wide project ‘Tikšanās ar savu maizes kukulīti’ [‘Meet your little loaf of bread’] and the project ‘Maizes stāsts’ '[‘The story of bread’] organised by local authorities.

The story of the Aglona Bread Museum’s 15-year-long cooperation with the European Network of Regional Culinary Heritage and Latvian Culinary Heritage Centre association warrants special mention. These organisations have worked together to promote the values of Latgale, including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’, at festivals and conferences and through experiential and study tours to Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Türkiye, etc. When delegations from countries belonging to the European Culinary Heritage Network come to Latgale, they are regaled with the special ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’.

‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ has also gained recognition under two cross-border cooperation programme projects – ‘Improvement of culinary services in the Latgale and Vitebsk regions, based on the concept of culinary heritage’ (BELLA CUSINE, 2013-2014) and ‘Preservation and promotion of culinary heritage and traditional craft skills (BELLA CULTURE 2020-2022)’. ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ was sampled at events organised under this international programme. A book entitled Dari pats BELLA tradīcijās [‘Do it yourself the BELLA way’], about the programme’s participants, was published in 2014. It contains the article ‘Tur, kur smaržo pēc maizes’ [‘The place that smells of bread’], which describes Aglona’s bread-related traditions and assortments.

The reputation of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ can also be gauged from its broad media coverage in the press and on TV and radio. It features in the following stories, broadcasts and documentaries: ‘Rudzu maize’ [‘Rye bread’] (16 October 2021), ‘Vija Kudiņa – Aglonas muzeja saimniece’ [‘Vija Kudiņa – curator of the Aglona Museum’] (6 September 2021), ‘La Dolce Vita ar Roberto’ [‘La Dolce Vita with Roberto’] (15 April 2019), ‘Īstās latvju saimnieces’ [‘Real home cooks of Latvia’] (10 March 2016), ‘Aglonas muzeja dzimšanas diena’ [‘Birthday of the Aglona Museum’] (31 August 2017), ‘Latgolys laikadečs’ (2012), ‘Dzīvesvieta’ [‘A place to live’] (17 March 2006).

For her achievements at events promoting Aglona bread, the curator of the Bread Museum Vita Kudiņa won the ‘Boņuks’ award in 2015. A plentiful spread was laid on at the ‘GORS’ concert hall in Rēzekne afterwards, replete with Latgalian dishes, including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’.

There have also been numerous press publications: ‘Godinot maizi, atklāja novadu dienu’ [‘Day of municipalities declared open, with homage paid to bread’] in the newspaper Latgales Laiks (on 20 September 2013); ‘Īstās latvju saimnieces receptes’ [‘Recipes of real home cooks of Latvia’] in the newspaper Ezerzeme (12 February 2016); ‘Sandras Kalnietes konkursa “Atdzimst no pelniem” balvu saņem Vija Ancāne’ [‘Vija Ancāne receives award in Sandra Kalniete’s competition ‘Risen from the ashes’] (Note: in 2013 Vija Ancāne officially changed her surname back to her maiden name Kudiņa) in the newspaper Latgales Laiks (14 May 2010); ‘Dieva maizīte un ikdienišķā svētā’[‘Communion wafer and our sacred daily bread’] in the newspaper Latvietis (14 August 2015); ‘Aglonas maizes muzejs’ [‘Aglona Bread Museum’] in Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia (October 2021); ‘Mana 2022. gada vasara’ [‘My summer of 2022’] in the newspaper Latvija Amerikā (5 February 2023); ‘Maize ar Māras Krusta svētību – kumoss pasaules garšu buķetē’ [‘Bread blessed with Mara’s cross – a piece of the world’s panoply of flavours’] in the newspaper Vietējā Latgales Avīze (23 May 2014); and in magazines – ‘Maize ikdienišķā un svētā’ [‘Our sacred daily bread’] in Mājas Labumi (2011); ‘Rudzu spēks ikdienā un svētkos’ [‘The power of rye in daily life and celebrations’] in Dārzs un Drava (April 2021), ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ in Praktiskais Latvietis (March 2023) and ‘Aglonas maizes veistūkļa ceļš’ [‘The journey of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’] in the magazine Saimnieks (April 2023).

Nor have the authors of voluminous publications been indifferent to Aglona’s bread, including ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’. Two encyclopaedias by the academic Janīna Kursīte should be mentioned: Neakadēmiskā latviešu valodas jeb novadu vārdene [‘A non-academic Latvian or regional glossary(2007) and Virtuves vārdene [“A kitchen glossary”] (2012), where the word 'veistūklis’ is explained.

Books also provide important testimony: Mūsu maize by Indra Čekstere (2004), translated into English as ‘Our Daily Bread’, Maizes grāmata [‘The Bread Book’] by Vija Ancāne (Kudiņa), Latgales pavārgrāmata [‘The Latgale Cookbook’] (2020), published by the Latgale Culinary Heritage Centre, and Tradīciju burtnīcas [‘Notebooks of traditions’] (2010).

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.pvd.gov.lv/lv/lauksaimniecibas-un-partikas-produktu-norazu-registracija

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(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).