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 three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Muránske buchty’

EU No: PGI-SK-03206 – 15.3.2024

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of PGI

2.   Member State or Third Country

Slovakia

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   CN code

—	19 – PREPARATIONS OF CEREALS, FLOUR, STARCH OR MILK; PASTRYCOOKS’ PRODUCTS

1905 – Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice paper and similar products

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Muránske buchty’ are filled rolls similar to turnovers or puffs, made with leavened dough that has been layered with margarine several times. The filling may be plum, curd, poppyseed, nut, strawberry, bilberry or sour cherry, apple and cinnamon, or chocolate and hazelnut. ‘Muránske buchty’ are distinguished by the structure of the dough, which separates into flaky ‘leaves’, the ‘wrapped’ shape of the roll and the weight of the finished product – in particular the weight of the filling, which constitutes most of the finished product’s weight.

Characteristics

Appearance: Square-shaped rolls with sides of 10-14 cm.

Colour: golden baked

Aroma: delicate aroma of leaven and of the filling.

Taste: an intense yet subtle blend of the individual ingredients with margarine and a flavour specific to the filling

Consistency: soft dough that is dense and smooth inside, with a delicate leafy texture; moist, not dried out

Weight of raw dough to prepare a roll: 120-140 g

Weight of filling: 85-100 g

Fresh egg whites or liquid egg whites are used to coat each roll. After baking and cooling, the rolls are sprinkled with icing sugar.

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

There are no restrictions on the origin of the raw materials.

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

The production process takes place in the following stages:

—	preparation of the dough by hand and letting it rise;

—	division of the dough into loaves;

—	rolling of loaves, layering with margarine, folding, raising;

—	rolling of the loaves and division of the dough into squares, filling;

—	forming of the rolls;

—	coating of the rolls with egg whites or liquid egg whites, raising;

—

baking.

After baking they are separated from each other on the tin and, once cooled, are sprinkled with icing sugar.

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

—

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

—

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the municipality of Muráň. The municipality of Muráň is located in the central part of the Muráň Plateau, in the Revúca District within the Banská Bystrica Region.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The causal link is based on the know-how of the producers in the geographical area, the reputation of ‘Muránske buchty’ and the history and traditions of the region.

There is no record of the exact date on which ‘Muránske buchty’ were first baked. According to oral tradition, their origins go back to the 1960s. As Roman Goldschmidt says in an interview with Matej Kováč for the Regional News section of the rimava.sk website, dated 9 March 2019: ‘Over the decades, grandmothers in the Muráň municipality handed down the recipe from generation to generation.’ Rolls were also baked in the Koruna canteen and pub (formerly the Reštaurácia a Jedáleň establishment), where this local speciality was also sold.

Among the first to bake the rolls were Magdaléna Balážiková, Gizela Barilová, Mária Fabová and Mária Sklenáriková. Hildegarda Nemogová, Magdaléna Bábeľová and Erika Štefanková from Muránska Dlhá Lúka, and others, then began to sell the rolls at the Lahôdky shop. They produced and sold the rolls for more than 40 years, after which there was a short break from 2014 until September 2017, when the delicious smell of ‘Muránske buchty’ began to rise over the town square again.

A specific feature of the production of ‘Muránske buchty’ is the long time - between 3 and 4 hours - taken to prepare the dough. The dough must be left to rise twice before filling and a third time before baking. The dough used to make ‘Muránske buchty’ is prepared solely by hand.

Repeatedly folding and rolling the dough and layering it with margarine causes the dough to become ‘leafy’ after baking; it is dense and smooth and has a fine texture. The filling accounts for most of the weight of the finished product. The rolls are ‘wrapped’ in a specific manner: three corners are folded in turn to the centre of the square over the filling, and the fourth corner is pulled over and almost under the roll to cover or ‘wrap’ it, ensuring that neither the dough nor the filling dries out but remains soft, moist and smooth. Coating the rolls with liquid egg whites and not with whole egg ensures that the pastry dough is well baked and has a golden colour. As Ľubo Fronko said in a report for the Markíza television channel on 31 May 2021: ‘The whole of Slovakia can be proud of Muránske buchty.’

Originally, raw materials from household sources were used to produce the rolls, because these were available and could be processed; this applied especially to the fillings. Nowadays the emphasis is on the particular way the dough is prepared (solely by hand, being left to rise and layered with margarine several times) and on the way it is shaped by being ‘wrapped’ into rolls. The characteristic flavour of the product is complemented by the sweet-tasting fillings.

The skill and dexterity of people from the defined geographical area in producing ‘Muránske buchty’ have developed from knowledge and experience passed from one generation to the next, and this is reflected in the quality of the final product. The preparation of the leaven and the dough by hand, the fact that it is rolled out several times, is left to rise three times, is layered with margarine and is shaped into rolls, means that ‘Muránske buchty’ have a specific dough structure, size and shape, and a characteristic smell and taste.

The product’s qualities, which derive from it being prepared by hand, from the number of fillings and from the way in which it is baked, mean it has become highly popular and sought-after. Organisers of food events and exhibitions invite the producers to their events so that they can demonstrate the authentic preparation of the product’s dough and fillings and how it is baked. The Mayor of Muráň, Roman Goldschmidt, told the vobraze.sk website that: ‘Everyone who takes a bite of one of the rolls understands that they don’t stint on the filling. They were given a trademark in January 2018 in recognition of their status as a local speciality.’

The preparation and production of ‘Muránske buchty’ is based on historical recipes, takes place in the defined geographical area and is historically linked to that area.

The name ‘Muránske buchty’ is derived from the name of the municipality of Muráň, which is historically linked to the baking of the rolls. In the second half of the last century, the geographical name started to be used to distinguish a specific high-quality product that is characteristic of Muráň from other products of the same type, and this usage continues today.

Testimony to the reputation and tradition of ‘Muránske buchty’ is the fact that they were awarded a certificate in 2018 to use the ‘GEMER-MALHONT regional product’ label, as a unique regional product made using traditional methods, many of which are applied by hand.

The traditional reputation of ‘Muránske buchty’ has been maintained over the years and is still current, as evidenced by references to them in regional newspapers. Some examples: the May 2024 edition of the Muránske noviny newspaper analyses how ‘Muránske buchty’ have fared since 2020. It reports that production more than doubled in three years.

The making of ‘Muránske buchty’ also featured in the 3 February 2024 broadcast of the Slovak television (RTVS) programme Farmárska revue – a magazine programme for both small-scale horticulturalists and large-scale farmers, growers and breeders.

‘Muránske buchty’ feature at regional events such as the Veľkonočný jarmok (Easter Fair) in Lučenec. For several years they have been part of the Otváranie Bánoša (Opening Bánoš) event, organised by a secondary vocational school in cooperation with the Banská Bystrica Region rural partnership, the ‘Traditional Taste of Slovakia’s Regions’ civic association, and the city of Banská Bystrica. They can also be found every year at the Mitrovanie (St Demeter’s Festival) event in Veľké Teriakovce marking the end of the shepherding season, and the Ródeo Muráň (Muráň Rodeo) event in Muráň.

‘Muránske buchty’ are presented at exhibitions and also feature as part of the catering available at such events. They also featured as part of the 364th edition of the well-known Radvanský jarmok (Radvaň Fair) event in Banská Bystrica in September 2022, where a separate area was set aside for products already registered with geographical indications, and for those that were not yet registered; this area was visited by Slovaks, but especially by foreign tourists with an interest in preserving traditions and traditional products.

‘Muránske buchty’ represent Slovakia’s culinary specialities and traditions.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://www.indprop.gov.sk/swift_data/source/2023/CHOP_CHZO/specifikacia/Muranske_buchty.docx

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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).