Publication of the amended product specification following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

(2022/C 74/06)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

The application for approval of this minor amendment can be consulted in the Commission’s eAmbrosia database.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A TRADITIONAL SPECIALITY GUARANTEED

‘SALINĀTĀ RUDZU RUPJMAIZE’

EU No: TSG-LV-1043-AM01 – 30 December 2020

Member State or third country ‘Latvia’

1.   Name(s) to be registered:

‘Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’

2.   Type of product [as in Annex XI]

Class 2.24. bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares

3.   Grounds for registration

3.1.   Whether the product:

‘Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ owes its specific character to its recipe and the technique used for its production.

In contrast to other types of rye bread, the recipe for ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ does not involve the use of baker’s yeast, but includes coarse rye flour, approx. 0,8 % caraway seeds, 8-16 % sugar, and up to 3 % unfermented rye malt.

The production technique is specific in that before the preparation of the dough, approx. 30 % of the rye flour is ‘sweetened’, i.e. scalded, and the scalded flour is then set aside and fermented for at least 12 hours. Moreover, the scalded flour is prepared in tubs made from deciduous wood, and after scalding the flour cools more slowly in these tubs than it would in bowls made from metal or other materials. Once the flour has been scalded with hot water (85-95 °C), it is kept at 63-65 °C for a further 2-4 hours to allow starch to be broken down into sugars, giving the product its sweet taste. In addition, microflora containing lactic acid bacteria is preserved on the sides of the tub from scalded flour fermented previously, and this gradually brings about the fermentation of lactic acid and the increasing of the scalded flour’s acidity as it cools. Lactic acid fermentation hinders the development of undesired microorganisms. The length of the process for preparing the scalded flour and ferment allows microorganisms to multiply in sufficient quantities to give the bread the required sourness, aroma and porosity, and therefore baker’s yeast is not added.

Another of the specific characteristics of Latvian ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ is that caraway seeds are added during the preparation of the scalded flour and the dough, giving the bread its special caraway-seed aroma.

Latvian ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ is also known for the elongated form of the loaf, which is at least twice as long as it is wide, with rounded ends shaped by hand, its smooth and glossy dark-brown crust, coated with starch paste, and its aromatic crumb. ‘Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ is baked on a hot hearth, not on baking trays or in moulds. This ensures an intensive transmission of heat, preserving the hand-shaped form of the bread and creating a larger loaf with a stronger crust.

3.2.   Name:

The word ‘salināt’ means to make sweet, to sweeten, e.g. by pouring hot water onto flour (K. Karulis, Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdnīca [Etymological dictionary of the Latvian language], Vol. II, 1992). This is an ancient word, which was already in common use in the western part of Latvia in the 18th century.

The term ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ refers to bread baked from coarse rye flour, with scalded flour used in the production process, meaning that hot water is poured over part of the flour in order to impart sweetness to the bread.

In her research work Mūsu maize. Our Daily Bread (2004), ethnographer Indra Čekstere explains that in Kurzeme, ‘rye bread (rupjmaize) is known as “salinātā” maize when part of the flour has been scalded with hot water’.

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 (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

‘Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ is a naturally leavened bread baked in Latvia from coarse rye flour, with scalded flour and ferment being used in the production process. This type of bread is baked in a hearth oven and shaped into an elongated loaf weighing one or more kilograms, with a smooth and glossy crust to which starch paste or water is applied after baking.

External appearance and shape: an elongated loaf with rounded ends, at least twice as long as it is wide; a mark may be made on the top of the crust, and imprints may be made on the sides.

Crust: dark, smooth and glossy; may be sprinkled with caraway seeds; there may be bran, flour or maple leaves on the underside of the crust.

Crumb: dark, with larger or smaller pores; elastic; the crumb may be slightly moist.

Taste and aroma: pleasant aroma of baked bread and caraway seeds, with a sweet-and-sour rye bread taste.

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 (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

The technique for making ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ consists of several stages: preparation, cooling and fermenting of scalded flour, kneading and fermenting of dough, division, forming into loaves, baking.

Recipe for ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ (for 10 kg of flour)(*)

The flour which is scalded in order to make ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ is coarse rye flour. Traditionally, the scalded flour is prepared in tubs made from planks of deciduous wood from aspen or lime trees, with a volume of approx. 30 l, and is mixed with a wooden spatula. Microflora preserved on the sides of the tub from previously fermented dough stimulates fermentation of lactic acid, so the tub is not washed but is carefully scraped out and kept in a dry place. Around 30 % (3 kg) of the total amount of flour used to produce the bread (10 kg) is used to make the scalded flour. The flour set aside for scalding and the caraway seeds are ‘sweetened’, i.e. scalded with water of a temperature of around 95 °C. Following this process, the temperature of the scalded flour should be around 63-68 °C.

Usually 2-2,5 times more water than flour is required. Water is added gradually so that the flour and water can be mixed more easily into a homogeneous mass with a consistency similar to that of thick cream. When the scalded flour is at a temperature of 63-65 °C, approx. 50-300 g of unfermented rye malt is added and stirred in thoroughly. The caraway seeds and malt provide the scalded flour with the caraway-seed aroma and specific sweet-and-sour taste of the product. The sweet taste is formed by the breakdown of starch into sugars by the malt, while the sour taste is given by the lactic acid and acetic acid resulting from the fermentation of lactic acid.

If the scalded flour mass is prepared correctly it should have a homogeneous texture similar to that of thick cream, and have a greyish-brown colour. Once prepared, the scalded flour should be left for 2-4 hours in the tub where it was made, ensuring that an optimum temperature (63-65 °C) is maintained so as to allow the conversion of starch into sugar. Then the scalded flour should be mixed so that it cools. The cooling and fermentation of the scalded flour takes place in the same tub over approx. 12-24 hours. When the temperature is around 36 °C, approx. 0,4-1,6 kg of ferment from the previous batch of bread is added to the scalded flour to stimulate the fermentation of lactic acid. The ferment should at first be added only to the upper part of the tub, then a couple of hours later it should be spread deeper, halfway down through the scalded flour, and finally right to the bottom. During fermentation, the scalded flour becomes slightly sour, and an agreeable sweet-and-sour taste is formed.

When the scalded flour has fermented, the dough is kneaded in a wooden kneading tub or a kneading bowl. Rye flour, sugar and salt are added to the scalded flour dough after it has fermented; up to 10 % wheat flour may be added. The dough is kneaded until it no longer sticks to the hands and all the ingredients are evenly mixed together. The upper surface of the dough is evened out with wet hands, covered and placed in a warm place to continue fermenting. Splitting in the upper surface of the dough and a doubling in size shows that the dough has fermented. It can then be divided and baked.

The fermented dough is divided into pieces after moistening the hands with water. ‘Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ is formed into elongated loaves which are then smoothed over with a wet hand; the sides of larger loaves are scored to prevent them from splitting, and a cross, slits or a symbol may be cut into the surface of the loaf. Loaves of dough can be placed onto surfaces covered with cloth, boards or peels which have been sprinkled with bran or covered in maple leaves, and are then placed in the oven. The loaves are baked on the hot hearth, not on baking trays or in moulds. The oven is heated to a higher temperature (280-350 °C) at the start of baking, so that a stronger crust is formed which will not split. Afterwards baking continues at a lower temperature (200-250 °C). Baking takes place for approx. one to two hours, depending on loaf size. When removed from the oven, starch paste or water is applied to the hot loaves, giving a softer and glossier crust.

Organoleptic and physico-chemical indicators of bread quality

After being baked, the hot bread is left to cool and then put in a cool, well-ventilated room or covered with linen cloth. After it has cooled, the bread can be sold as an uncut loaf, or cut into smaller pieces or slices. The bread can also be packed in a cloth, paper or plastic bag. It can be kept at room temperature (15-25 °C) or frozen (– 18 °C). ‘Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ stays fresh for a long time, and can be kept for at least 5-10 days.

4.3.   Description of the key elements establishing the product’s traditional character (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

Rye bread has always been one of the staple foods in Latvian homes, which is why it is even today a symbolic component of Latvian national identity. Rye bread is included in the Latvian Cultural Canon in the ‘Folk Traditions’ section. Like its equivalents in other European countries, the Latvian Cultural Canon is compiled as a compendium of the most outstanding and most significant artistic works and cultural treasures reflecting the most important cultural achievements in the nation’s history.

In her research work Mūsu maize. Our daily bread (2004), the ethnographer Indra Čekstere writes that in Latvian households “it is most often ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ which is baked, after pouring hot water over the flour in a tub”. A lump of dough from a previous batch of bread is dissolved in warm water and added as a ferment. The runny dough is mixed in the tub and left overnight to ferment. It is beaten with a long wooden spatula. In the morning, the kneading starts. The kneading takes a long time, with caraway seeds and more flour being added. When the dough no longer sticks to the hands, the kneading stops. The tub with the fermenting dough is placed next to the oven and long small loaves are shaped on the peel, which is covered with a dusting of flour or maple leaves and quickly placed in the oven.’

The publication Latviešu tradicionālie ēdieni [Latvian traditional dishes] (compiled by I. Heinola and S. Stinkule, published in 2006 with support from the State Cultural Capital Foundation) notes that right up until the early 20th century the main activities among Latvians and Livonians were farming and fishing, and so the staple of their diet consisted of home-made rye bread and various boiled dishes. The publication provides a description of ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’, noting that rye flour was used in the production of the bread and that part of this flour was scalded. The dough was prepared in a wooden tub and its fermentation was ensured by ferment left from the previous batch of bread and microorganisms preserved on the sides of the tub. Long loaves were formed from the dough, and these were baked in a wood-fired oven.

In her book Daudzveidīgā maizīte [The many forms of bread] (1993), bread-making expert Zigrīda Liepiņa also gives a description of the production of traditional ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ as it was still made at the beginning of the 20th century. The description stresses the uniqueness of the scalding of the flour and the length of its fermentation in wooden tubs, which create the distinct and pleasant aroma of the bread and its porous and elastic crumb.

Housekeeping and handicrafts teacher M. Leiše described the preparation of and recipe for ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’. She noted that it was best to use a vessel made from deciduous wood to prepare the bread, and that a certain amount of hot water should be poured over part of the flour and that this should then be mixed with a wooden spatula until the dough attains a homogenous consistency. Around 12 hours later, when the scalded flour has cooled, ferment is added and the mixture is allowed to ferment, and only then is the dough kneaded. The fermented dough is then divided into pieces and baked in a hot oven on the hearth. (Praktiskā mājturība [Practical housekeeping], published by A. Gulbis, Riga, 1931).

L. Dumpe described the way ‘salinātā rudzu rupjmaize’ was baked in around 1915 in her publication Latviešu tautas ēdieni [Latvian national dishes] (2006), based on material gathered during ethnographic expeditions. She notes that ‘normal bread was fermented using warm water at 45-65 °C, while “salinātā” bread was fermented using hot water at 95 °C. It was mixed until the dough no longer stuck to the hands and a white stripe remained when it was pulled at with a finger. The kneaded dough was covered and fermented again in a warm place. The fermented dough was divided into pieces, formed into elongated loaves and baked on a hearth. Water or starch paste were then applied to the hot loaves. This made the crust soft and glossy.’

(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.