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

(2023/C 200/09)

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

’Lajta sajt'

EU No: PGI-HU-02844 — 23.5.2022

PDO ( ) PGI (x)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Lajta sajt’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Hungary

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.3: Cheeses

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

‘Lajta sajt’ is a full-fat, salted, slightly soft-textured, porous cheese made from cow’s milk and ripened for 2 weeks with Brevibacterium linens rind flora. The main ripening microflora reproduces in a natural way in the geographical area referred to in point 4.

Physical and chemical characteristics of ‘Lajta sajt’

Characteristic quantity % (g/100 g)

Dry matter content (minimum) 50,0

Fat content in dry matter 50,0 ± 2,5

Sodium chloride content 1,5 ± 0,5

Organoleptic characteristics of ‘Lajta sajt’

Appearance: Oblong block (19-21 cm long; 7-9 cm wide; 5,5-7 cm high), weighing 1-1,2 kg. The bottom and top are flat and the sides are slightly bulging. The thin, flexible rind is porous and uniformly reddish-yellow in colour.

Texture: The body is uniformly yellowish-red in colour, with cracks densely and evenly distributed on the cut surface. It is easy to cut and rather soft and crumbles easily in the mouth.

Smell: It has a distinctive aroma and is slightly spicy, slightly lactic and free of any foreign odour.

Taste: slightly acidic, slightly spicy, flavourful, pleasantly salty and free of any foreign taste.

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

There are no territorial restrictions concerning feed.

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

The following steps in the production of the cheese take place in the defined geographical area:

—	Preparation and enzymatic coagulation of the milk.

—	Cutting and processing of the curd.

—	Moulding and pressing of the cheese.

—	Salting of the cheese.

—	Ripening of the cheese.

—	Wiping and drying of the cheese.

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

The packaging must bear the indication ‘zsíros, belső érlelésű, rúzsflórás, félkemény sajtkülönlegesség’ [full-fat, internal-ripened, red-cultured, semi-hard cheese speciality].

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Győr-Moson-Sopron County

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Lajta sajt’ and the geographical area is based on quality and reputation.

‘Lajta sajt’ has a characteristically aromatic odour and taste due to its specific ripening flora. The slightly soft-textured cheese is reddish-yellow in colour and crumbles in the mouth, and the cut surface is porous.

The relatively short ripening period lends the cheese its slightly acidic, pleasantly aromatic and distinctive taste. The character of the cheese stems mainly from the intense proteolysis, which results in its crumbly, slightly soft texture and ease of digestibility. The texture of the mature cheese places it between a soft and a semi-hard cheese.

Győr-Moson-Sopron County is north-west Hungary’s traditional dairy production region. ‘Lajta sajt’ is named after the river Lajta, which flows into the Moson Danube at Mosonmagyaróvár in Győr-Moson-Sopron County.

In this region, the first half of the 20th century saw a fortuitous confluence of high-quality milk production and an excellent intellectual knowledge base, represented by the Agricultural Academy in Mosonmagyaróvár, the Hungarian Dairy Farming Research Institute, the educational centre in Csermajor and the dairies in Mosonmagyaróvár, Csermajor and Levél. The unique production method of ‘Lajta sajt’ emerged from this knowledge base in the 1930s, and this specific know-how was incorporated into dairy production technology in the 1950s.

In terms of the quality of ‘Lajta sajt’, the ripening of the cheese in the geographical area is a crucial stage of the production process. The high relative humidity of over 90 % causes the main ripening microflora (Brevibacterium linens), originating essentially in the pine boards surrounding the cheese, to appear on the surface of the cheese on day 4-5 of the ripening process, forming a pale yellow coating. The high humidity and ripening on boards made exclusively of pine wood ensure that this specific bacterium strain is maintained and that a ‘red culture’ develops on the fresh cheese. In this way, a close link is formed between the quality of the product and the place of production.

Special know-how is required for the ripening process of ‘Lajta sajt’. The cheeses are rotated every 3-4 days and washed with brine to increase the intensity of bacteria growth. They must be turned and washed by hand very carefully and must not be wiped.

‘Lajta sajt’ ripens for 2 weeks, by which time the red culture completely covers the surface. Starting from the surface, the intense ripening moves towards the centre and is complete by the time ‘Lajta sajt’ is mature. Another feature of ripening is the rapid increase in the pH value of the rind, caused by the breakdown of lactate (into carbon dioxide and water) by certain yeasts (e.g. Oospora lactis) growing naturally on the surface. The ripening of ‘Lajta sajt’ is characterised by the rapid degradation of most of the proteins, which means that 50-60 % of them take the form of peptides, partly in the form of amino acid compounds, by week 2 of the ripening process. After 3 weeks of ripening, the ammonia taste and smell are detectable and the texture continues to soften, so the cheese must be stored from the third week at a temperature of between 2 °C and 8 °C in order to be edible and maintain its characteristic properties.

The reputation of ‘Lajta sajt’ is based on its taste, flavourfulness, smell, extremely pleasant crumbly texture and uniquely uniform quality. It was, and still is, primarily a favourite with gourmet cheese lovers and, thanks to the intense proteolysis, ranks among the most easily digestible varieties of cheese.

A thematic blog on cheeses refers to ‘Lajta sajt’ as a famous and rightly popular Hungarian cheese, which is classified as one of the cheeses which ripen with red cultures and described as follows: ‘The rind is thin, elastic and dark yellowish-red in colour. The body of the cheese is dense, with small eyes, and has a distinctive, aromatic and pleasantly sharp taste. It slices and grates easily, making it perfect for sandwiches and with toast, and it can also be eaten with pasta. I would recommend it for any dish requiring cheese.’ Source: https://sajtologia.blog.hu/2015/09/09/ha_lajta_van_rajta

‘Lajta sajt’ has frequently achieved recognition at domestic and international cheese competitions, garnering:

—	a gold certificate at the 2011 Hungarian National Cheese Competition in Csermajor;

—	first prize outright among the traditional national cheeses of 15 countries at the National Cheese Competition organised as part of the 22nd Budavár Wine Festival in 2013;

—	the gold medal at the 2018 National Cheese Rally;

—	second place at the 2019 Mikulov Cheese Festival in Czechia;

—	great acclaim as a guest at the 2021 ‘Caseus Veneti’ cheese exhibition. The exhibition is open to small-scale cheese manufacturers making unique products with local characteristics. Source: https://www.padovaoggi.it/foto/eventi/caseus-veneti-piazzola-25-26-settembre-2021.html/

Reference to publication of the specification

https://gi.kormany.hu/foldrajzi-arujelzok

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.