Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2022/C 179/07)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’

EU No: PGI-IT-02650 – 14.12.2020

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed

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

The name ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ refers to fresh hybrids/varieties of the species Foeniculum vulgare Mill., subspecies capillaceum, var. dulce or azoricum, grown in the demarcated area referred to in point 4 below.

Based on the growing period, ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ PGI is classified as being the early or late type, with the following characteristics:

1.

‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto P.G.I.’ - early type: a) variety: ‘Guttuso’, ‘50-57’, ‘Tiziano’, ‘Michelangelo’ and ‘Tiepolo’ b) harvesting period: from the second ten-day period of October to mid-February; c) appearance: compact head with a flattened shape at the top and bottom and upright stalks; d) colour: white with light green veins and green foliage; e) taste: distinctive, very mild, very fresh on the palate and crunchy when chewed; filament easily separated; f) aroma: distinctive, with a strong primary aroma, no foreign notes; g) size: diameter between 50 and 150 mm; h) gross weight of head between 200 and 1 000 grams.

2.

‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto P.G.I.’ - late type: a) variety: ‘Narciso’, ‘Donatello’, ‘Tintoretto’ and ‘Riace’ b) harvesting period: from the end of March to mid-June; c) appearance: compact head with a rounded shape; d) colour: extremely bright white with light green veins; e) taste: distinctive, very mild, very fresh on the palate and crunchy when chewed; filament easily separated; f) aroma: distinctive, with a strong primary aroma, no foreign notes; g) size: diameter between 50 and 150 mm; h) gross weight of head between 200 and 1 000 grams.

‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ has the following physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics, based on the results of the panel tests carried out:

Chemico-physical characteristics:

—	Ash (dry matter): ≤ 1,2 %

—	Refractometric rating: ≥ 6,0° Brix

—	Total sugars ≥ 3 %

The product may be marketed in ‘mozzarella’ format, i.e. only the bulbous part and without the stalks.

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

–

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

All of the steps in production (growing, sorting and initial packaging) must take place in the area referred to in point 4 below.

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

In addition to the EU PGI logo and the information required under the legislation in force, the words ‘IGP Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ and the logo for the designation must also appear on the packaging. See Figure 1 below for the colour, black and white (positive) and black and white (negative) versions.

The packaging must also feature all the necessary information identifying the name and address, or company name and registered office, of the individual producer or association of producers and the packer.

Logo

This is the PGI’s logo:

Colour version

Positive black and white version

Negative black and white version

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for the ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ PGI includes the entire administrative territory of the municipalities of Botricello and Belcastro in the province of Catanzaro and the municipalities of Mesoraca, Cutro, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Crotone, Rocca di Neto and Strongoli in the province of Crotone.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The request for approval of ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ is based on the link between the quality of the product due to the geographical area and its reputation.

The reputation of ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ is derived from the combination of agronomic and climatic factors to be found in the production area, which make it particularly suited to the production of this vegetable.

Specifically, there are the particularly mild climatic conditions in winter and spring; the sandy loam soil with a water table very close to the surface allows the plants to be subjected to controlled water stress, thus promoting somewhat stunted growth and the low dry matter content that makes the fennel more crunchy and succulent.

Furthermore, the loose soil does not offer any resistance as the bulbs develop, meaning that the product is perfectly formed with no deformities in the different varietal expressions.

The characteristics of the soil mean that only a small percentage of the fennel bulbs develop ‘long necks’. The cultivation technique employed involves transplanting at a depth that tends to produce a product that is totally white. The lightness of the soil is also conducive to this latter characteristic.

As evidence of the close link between the area’s suitability and the designation “Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto”, it is interesting to note the widespread custom of plots and holdings being named after well-known place names in the area. These names were almost always used to classify the products grown in those areas and were also based on how successful a particular product was on the market at the time. That is the reason why the areas of the Ionian coast south of Capo Rizzuto, stretching, via Capo Colonna (Crotone), as far as the Strongoli Marina coast in the north, used to be identified as “terreni per finocchi di Isola” (Isola fennel land).

While there is evidence of “Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto” being placed on the market dating back to the early 20th century, it was in the second half of the last century that it acquired importance on Italian fruit and vegetable markets, particularly in the period between November and May.

This is supported and confirmed by the religious and wine- and food-related events, and local festivals that have been taking place in the centrally-located Piazza del Popolo of the town of Isola di Capo Rizzuto for several years now.

Mention should also be made of the 1 May“Ortomercato” festivals held in 1991 and 1992 to promote local produce, including the “Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto” grown in the municipality, as well as the festivals devoted solely to “Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto” which were held on 27 March 1983 and 1 April 1984.

Coinciding with the festivities in honour of the “Madonna Greca”, patron saint of Isola Capo Rizzuto, the “Festa degli Agricoltori” [Farmers’ Festival] has been held since the late 1990s. This highlights the importance of the product in the territory considered particularly suited to the production of “Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto”.

Now a regular annual event between late April and early May, the relaunched “Sagra del Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto” (“Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto” festival) has even attracted interest from Italian mass media. For example, the festival of 28 April 2018 was included in the television broadcast Ricette all’italiana’ (Italian recipes) on the Rete 4 channel) and in that of 11 May 2019, the term ‘Finocchio d’ORO’, understood to mean ‘il tesoro di Isola di Capo Rizzuto’ (the treasure of Isola di Capo Rizzuto) was deliberately used (11 May 2019, Palazzo Vescovile, Isola di Capo Rizzuto)’.

Further confirmation backing the reputation of ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ over more than thirty years is that the ‘Fresco di Legalità’ (Fresh and Legal) initiative organised in 2009 selected this very product as a symbol grown and harvested on land reclaimed from the ‘Ndrangheta in the municipality of Isola Capo Rizzuto. This initiative was organised by the Associazione Libera Terra [Reclaim the Land Association] set up by Don Ciotti in cooperation with the Prefecture of Crotone and the Diocese of Crotone - Santa Severina, with support from the Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori [Italian Farmers’ Confederation], COPAGRI [Confederation of Agricultural Producers], ACLI Terra [Italian Christian Workers’ Association - Land], CONFAGRICOLTURA [General Confederation of Italian Agriculture] and COLDIRETTI [National Confederation of Direct Growers].

Another indication of the recognition acquired by the product is the fact that ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ is assigned higher prices than generic fennel, even in the wholesale market:

The reputation of ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ is also confirmed by its taste and organoleptic characteristics. Sensory tests were conducted on 8 May 2017 and 11 June 2020 by the ‘pH S.R.L’ laboratory in Tavernelle (province of Florence) to determine the organoleptic/sensory components of ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’. This fennel was described by the panel of experts as having ‘a distinctive and strong primary aroma with no foreign notes...typically very mild in flavour, very fresh on the palate and crunchy when chewed’.

These organoleptic characteristics are also mentioned in the biweekly magazine ‘Il Crotonese’ of 6 March 2020, which included an article by Franco Laratta stating that ‘Finocchi di Isola Capo Rizzuto colpiscono per l’aroma persistente e per quel sapore indimenticabile’ (‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto has a lasting aroma and an unforgettable taste’) and that the scent of Finocchio di Isola di Capo Rizzuto in the fields characterises the landscape in a uniquely evocative manner.

‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ has continued to maintain its market share, bolstered by the strong reputation associated with its name and history. A central ingredient in many traditional recipes in the area, ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ is well-known among chefs and experts in gastronomy for its distinctive taste and the diversity of its culinary applications (fresh, baked, confectionery, conserves, etc.)

There are recipes expressly including ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ among their ingredients on the most popular cookery blogs on the Internet. These blogs devoted to culinary recipes set out the steps to be taken in preparing dishes and specifically refer to this fennel as the ‘velvety Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’. ‘A casa tua in tour’ by Anna Aloi in 2017 (now the YouTube channel ‘IGB A CASA TUA’), refers to ‘Zuppa speziata di cannellini e finocchi di Isola Capo Rizzuto’, a spicy soup made with cannellini beans and ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’. Recipes are also featured on the social media accounts of Michelin-starred chefs (Giuseppe Romano, Antonio Biafora, Antonio Abbruzzino), who have chosen ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ as the raw material for some of their preparations, such as the recipes ‘Rognone, finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto e anice stellato’ [kidney, Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto and star anise] and ‘Animella, acciughe e Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ [sweetbread, anchovies and Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto].

There are also multiple references in magazines and/or publications (extract from the Food and Wine Guide of the ‘Touring Club Italiano’ magazine of 28 November 2006, ‘A tavola tra Storia e Leggenda’ [Around the table with stories and legends] from the Tourism Board for the Calabria Region, as well as in well-known TV programmes such as ‘L’ingrediente perfetto’ [The Perfect Ingredient] on the La7 channel broadcast on 19 January 2020.

The reputation of the name ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto’ is confirmed by the more than 2 000 results returned by the most commonly used search engines on the Internet.

Reference to publication of the specification

http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.