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

(2020/C 171/09)

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

‘SZILVÁSVÁRADI PISZTRÁNG’

EU No: PGI-HU-02472 – 4.6.2018

PDO () PGI (X)

1.   Name(s)

‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Hungary

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.7: Fresh fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and products derived therefrom

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

‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ is a member of the species Salmo trutta morpha fario (brown trout), part of the Salmonidae family. Viewed from above, its back is grey-green, while its flanks are golden yellow with dark and distinctive bright red spots surrounded by halos.

‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ is placed on the market fresh when it is 40–45 cm long and weighing 400–500 g once cleaned (gutted). Its flesh is firm and pale, with a slight pink hue and there are no muddy undertones in its subtle flavour.

Its texture is firm to the touch, with no fatty deposits, and is consistent across the entire cross-section of the fish (from back to belly). It has finer, more pleasant muscle fibres than brown trout farmed elsewhere.

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

During rearing, ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ are fed mainly on feed made from hormone-, chemical- and antibiotic-free fishmeal, together with fish oil and the necessary vitamins and trace elements, and on feedstuffs produced ecologically involving no chemicals or GMOs. An important aspect of the fish-farming method is leaving in place the plants on the edges of the system of trout ponds located in the geographical area defined in point 4, which provide the fish with a natural food supplement (primarily insects).

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

All stages of the production process, i.e. breeding, propagation, nursery rearing, the rearing of marketable fish and harvesting, must take place within the designated geographical area.

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

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

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The administrative region of Szilvásvárad.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ and the geographical area is based on the quality of the product.

The flavour of ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ differs from that of other, similar fish varieties, and it also has a distinctive texture. Its pink flesh has a subtle flavour with no muddy notes and a firmer texture and finer muscle fibres than trout farmed elsewhere, without any fatty deposits.

The Szalajka valley, which is home to the ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ and is where it is farmed, is a ravine in the Bükk mountains lying at 350–400 m above sea level, containing the Szalajka and Szikla karst springs. The fish farm ponds were formed using water from the river Szalajka flowing through the valley, and this river provides the ponds’ water supply. The water of the springs descends from an altitude of 800 m in the Bükk plateau through the karst system, where it undergoes repeated natural filtration before emerging as the exceptionally clean and good-quality water that feeds the fish farm ponds. The water temperature of the springs is 11–12 °C all year round.

The fish farm ponds are located right next to the springs that supply their water. The springs and the fish farm ponds, including the hatchery, are separated by about 200 m, so uniquely in Hungary, there are no sources of pollution, inhabited areas or cultivated agricultural land between the spring and the ponds, and the water reaches the trout ponds via the surface. The entire area is contained within the Bükk National Park.

The geographical area has the following unique characteristics:

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the water temperature of the springs feeding the ponds remains constant in summer and winter, so there are only small variations in temperature in the hatchery and the rearing ponds. The fish can therefore be reared in a stable environment. The consistently cool spring water all year round and the short distance to the pond system means that the water temperature in the ponds cannot rise above 15 °C even during the summer phase of the growing season. The cool water reduces the fish’s appetite and they therefore grow more slowly, making their flesh firmer, denser and leaner than average. The constant supply of fresh water from the springs prevents a muddy flavour from developing;

—	the constant and fast-moving flow of water ensures good oxygenation, which is not just essential for the fish but also – by increasing their metabolism – benefits their growth and the quality of their flesh by making it firmer with finer muscle fibres;

—	the consistently excellent, drinking-quality spring water, which is regularly tested at an accredited laboratory, gives the fish’s flesh a subtle flavour with no muddy undertones;

—	in the stress-free environment, the use of artificial aeration systems and unnecessary human presence around the rearing ponds are avoided.

All of these factors contribute to the uniform growth of ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ and to the texture and colour of its flesh: its characteristic firmness and pinkness, and its lack of fatty deposits.

The brown trout breeding stock now found in the Szilvásvárad trout farm is the same as it has ever been and is genetically pure. No live fish in the Salmonidae family from foreign farms or bodies of water have ever been introduced to or kept in the trout farm or the river Szalajka.

The experience accumulated over generations forms the basis for the stripping of the eggs at the right time, the propagation methods used and the removal of undeveloped eggs. According to local expertise, the feeding of fry with feed should start 32–35 days after hatching, as they are ready to accept feed at this stage. Fry will reject feed if feeding starts later than this. This methodology results in a low fish mortality rate and ensures that the fish farm ponds remain clean, since the feed introduced into the pond is eaten up by the fish and no excess feed is left in the pond to contaminate it.

This experience and expertise helps to ensure that ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ is reared using only chemical-, pharmaceutical- and stress-free methods, from roe to full-grown fish.

The unique characteristics of ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ set out above are jointly safeguarded by the drinking-quality karst spring water and this accumulated farming and rearing experience.

On account of the original genetic stock being preserved intact and the fish being highly prized in culinary circles, in 2013 ‘Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ was recognised as a ‘Bükk National Park Product’.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

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

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.