Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2008/C 233/08)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ANDRUTY KALISKIE’

EC No: PL-PGI-005-0526-6.3.2006

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Group:

3.   Type of product:

Class 2.4 — Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker's wares

4.   Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1.   Name: ‘Andruty kaliskie’

4.2.   Description: Round, thin wafers with regular edges and a slightly shiny, smooth surface which varies in colour, 15 to 17 cm in diameter and 0,8 to 1,5 mm thick. Their colour is light cream to straw through to golden brown. They are slightly sweet in taste, delicate, crisp, dry and smooth.

4.3.   Geographical area: Within the administrative boundaries of the city of Kalisz, Kalisz District, Greater Poland Province, Poland.

4.4.   Proof of origin: The label registration system enables comprehensive checks to be made on the number of Kalisz wafers on the market. Each producer is required to indicate its details in the designated place on the label in accordance with the relevant legislation.

At the preparatory stage and during production each producer keeps records relating to this specification. The records can be accessed by the control body at any time and checks may be carried out on them.

4.5.   Method of production: Stage 1 — The raw materials are prepared in the following quantities: 10 l of water, 470-1 000 g of sugar, 5-6 kg of wheat flour, 150-200 ml of rape oil.

Stage 2 — The ingredients are carefully mixed to form a uniform, thick, smooth dough. The dough is left to stand for at least 30 minutes.

Stage three — The closed waffle iron is heated to a temperature of around 180 °C. The maximum temperature should not exceed 220 °C.

Stage 4 — A portion of dough is placed on the hot, greased, lower plate of the waffle iron. The two plates are pressed together.

Stage 5 — When the wafers are cooked (this takes between 30 and 45 seconds approximately, depending on the temperature of the plates), the waffle iron is opened by raising the upper plate. The wafers should remain on the lower plate. The baked wafers are collected and placed in a pile; any not up to standard are discarded.

Stage 6 — The edges of the piled wafers are trimmed using a knife or file, giving them a circular shape. The wafers, to which a seal of warranty or label has been attached, are packed immediately after baking into heat-sealed polypropylene bags The bags may be packed in small boxes or envelopes. In such cases the seal of warranty and label are not required. These bags, envelopes and boxes are used for unit packaging. The number of wafers is indicated on the unit packaging. Large cardboard boxes are used for collective packaging. All of this stage is carried out by hand.

The product must be packaged at the place of production in view of its fragility and susceptibility to damp (high hygroscopicity) and with a view to ensuring product traceability.

4.6.   Link: The product's link to the region is based on its reputation; evidence shows that it has been produced here since the mid-19th century. Kalisz, the town with the oldest written records in Poland, became a melting pot of different nationalities and cultures as early as the Middle Ages. The evidence suggests that Kalisz wafers were created as the result of cultural interaction and represent a fusion of the culinary habits and customs of different national and religious groups which had lived in the city for centuries.

The tradition of Kalisz wafers occupies an important part in the city's history. The product's origins, however, are lost in the rich past of Kalisz. The etymology of the name is also unclear. All we know is that the name was used as early as the 18th century. According to Polish historian Zygmunt Gloger, Kalisz wafers were served as a dessert in the 18th century. The next recorded reference to the speciality dates from the mid-19th century.

The indications are that production of Kalisz wafers began around 1850 as a middle class started to form and the city achieved a certain level of prosperity. It became popular, for example, for whole families to spend their free Sundays strolling in the park by the Prosna river. At that time, traders started selling wafers to the promenaders. This is recorded in oral tradition, passed on by the families of producers and the descendents of customers as well. The Kalisz speciality also appears in the reminiscences of the city's inhabitants and is immortalised in photographs and in writing.

Making the wafers was easy and could be carried out even in fairly basic conditions if the trader knew the recipe and had the right equipment. They were made in bakeries, houses, country manors and many shops. They were also sold in these locations, although the most important place by far, with cult status, has always been the city park.

The 19th century waffle irons used for Kalisz wafers are the most tangible evidence we have of the tradition. Waffle irons were often kept after they had been altered or repaired. They were initially manufactured by blacksmiths and later also by local craftsmen (e.g. locksmiths). The shape was created by two round, smooth iron plates connected by a hinge.

In the collective memory, wafers are a symbol of the city in the same way as the coat of arms and town hall. So it comes as no surprise that emigrants from Kalisz throughout the world, nostalgic for a taste of home and childhood, often ask for wafers to be sent to them.

The outstanding reputation of Kalisz wafers is confirmed by numerous prizes, e.g. 1st prize in ‘Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo’, a national culinary competition (2004), 1st place at the ‘Wielkopolska Gala Produktów Regionalnych i Tradycyjnych’, a regional food fair (2005) and the ‘Perła’ prize for regional and traditional produce (2005) awarded annually at the international ‘Polagra Farm’ (‘Farma’) fair.

4.7.   Inspection body:

4.8.   Labelling: The tourist office for the Kalisz area (Lokalna Organizacja Turystyczna Ziemi Kaliskiej) has created specially designed packaging: seals of warranty, labels, envelopes and boxes. The packaging is produced at a central point under the supervision of the tourist office, which keeps a record of, and distributes, all the packaging referred to in the application. The distribution arrangements may not discriminate against any producers which make Kalisz wafers in accordance with this specification.

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.