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 278/10)

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

‘SAMOBORSKA ČEŠNJOVKA / SAMOBORSKA ČEŠNOFKA’

EU No: PGI-HR-02790 – 23.7.2021

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Republic of Croatia

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product [listed in Annex XI]

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is a smoked sausage for cooking made from minced pork, beef and/or veal, and from pig fat, with the addition of an infusion of fresh garlic and dry white wine. Ground black pepper, sweet ground paprika, crushed hot paprika or pickled hot pepperoni, as well as cooking salt and nitrite salt, are added to the sausage. It is stuffed into a natural pork casing, shaped into pairs and hot-smoked.

After smoking, ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ (the finished product) has a characteristic light-to-dark reddish-brown colour on the surface. In cross-section, the meat is a light-pink colour, with visible pieces of fat. In cross-section, the filling is uniform and compact, and adheres to the casing. The texture is softer after smoking and cooling.

Chemical parameters:

The share of total meat protein in the finished product is a minimum of 16 %.

The fat content in the finished product is a maximum of 30 %.

The weight of the finished product is 250–300 g per pair of chilled sausages.

‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is eaten boiled, stewed or grilled. When ready to be eaten, it has an elastic texture and is firm and juicy to the bite. It has a taste of cooked pork and is slightly spicy, with a mild, rounded aroma of smoke, garlic and wine.

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

Some 55–60 % of the raw material used to produce ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ consists of pork trimmings with 20–25 % visible fat, and 20-25 % pure-pork shoulder without forelegs with a maximum of 5 % visible fat.

Another 10–15 % consists of beef and/or veal from the neck, shoulder without forelegs, and leg without shank, and/or beef and/or veal trimmings with up to 5 % visible fat.

Pig fat is added to account for up to 10 % of the raw material. This may be solid fat from the pig’s neck and/or back region, and/or semi-solid fat from the pig’s leg region.

Also added to ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is a 2–4 % ‘infusion’ of fresh garlic and dry white wine (fresh, cleaned and crushed garlic boiled in dry white wine and water, at a garlic-to-white-wine-to-water ratio of 1:1:1). The final ingredients added are ground black pepper (0,1–0,3 %), sweet ground paprika (0,25-0,5 %), crushed hot paprika (0,1–0,2 %) or pickled hot pepperoni (0,2–0,5 %), cooking salt (1 %) and nitrite salt (1 %). It is forbidden to use sugar.

‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is stuffed into a natural pork casing with a calibre of 32/34 mm.

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

All stages in the production of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ – preparing the ingredients and the filling, stuffing the filling into the casing, stabilising and reddening of the filling, smoking and cooling – must take place in the geographical area defined in point 4.

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

Where ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is placed on the retail market without any packaging, each pair of sausages must be labelled.

Where ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is intended for establishments where it is prepared for consumption by the final consumer, it is not necessary to label each pair individually. A label must be placed on the over-packaging instead, indicating the number of pairs in the packaging alongside the prescribed information.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Samoborska češnjovka’ / ‘Samoborska češnofka’ is produced within the administrative boundaries of the town of Samobor and the neighbouring settlements of Beder, Bobovica, Braslovje, Bratelji, Bregana, Breganica, Budinjak, Bukovje Podvrško, Celine Samoborske, Cerje Samoborsko, Domaslovec, Drežnik Podokićki, Dubrava Samoborska, Falašćak, Farkaševec Samoborski, Galgovo, Gradna, Grdanjci, Hrastina Samoborska, Jarušje, Javorek, Kladje, Klake, Klokočevec Samoborski, Konšćica, Kotari, Kostanjevec Podvrški, Lug Samoborski, Mala Jazbina, Mala Rakovica, Mali Lipovec, Manja Vas, Medsave, Molvice, Noršić Selo, Novo Selo Žumberačko, Osredek Žumberački, Osunja, Otruševec, Pavučnjak, Petkov Breg, Podgrađe Podokićko, Podvrh, Poklek, Prekrižje Plešivičko, Rakov Potok, Rude, Samoborski Otok, Savršćak, Selce Žumberačko, Sječevac, Slani Dol, Slapnica, Slavagora, Smerovišće, Stojdraga, Sveti Martin pod Okićem, Šimraki, Šipački Breg, Tisovac Žumberački, Velika Jazbina, Velika Rakovica, Veliki Lipovec, Višnjevec Podvrški, Vratnik Samoborski, Vrbovec Samoborski and Vrhovčak, which are located in north-western Croatia, on the eastern slopes of the Samobor Hills, which form part of the Žumberak Mountains, and where the River Gradna enters the lowlands of the River Sava.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ and the geographical area is based on the reputation the sausage enjoys thanks to producers’ know-how in selecting and preparing the ingredients and in the various stages of the production process that account for the distinctive taste and aroma of the product (selecting the meat trimmings, preparing the infusion of fresh garlic and wine, splicing, preparing the wood for smoking).

There is a long-established tradition among the families of the Samobor region of producing meat products and sausages, notably ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’, since every household would feed pigs and keep and store their meat and sausages after slaughter. In the past, the inhabitants of the low-lying part of the production area of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ would plant cereals and fodder crops, or vineyards or orchards on the hillsides, while the numerous pastures favoured the breeding of cattle, pigs and horses. This is a well-known vine-growing and wine-producing region, so wine was a staple of the inhabitants’ everyday life and was used in sausage production.

The first written records of ‘češnjovka/češnofka’ [garlic sausage] date from 1915 (Samobor narodni život i običaji [Samobor Natural Life and Customs], Milan Lang, Zagreb, 1915, pp. 105–107), in which Milan Lang writes about the quality of the product and the raw materials and human skill used to make it, calling it ‘the finest sausage’. These records show that the production of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ began to develop in rural households during the pig-slaughtering season, when only local ingredients such as pork, wine and garlic were used, and sausage-making was, according to Lang, mostly done by women.

‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ began to be produced by butchers. A poem by Zvonimir Tkalčić-Zvonček, a vagabond but otherwise educated writer from Samobor, describing the life and work of the butchers of Samobor, who would provide him with food, was written for Carnival in 1934, and also mentions ‘češnofka’ (Samoborska salamijada 20 godina [Samobor Salami Festival – 20 years, Robert Škiljan (editor), Samobor, 2007, p. 16).

The specificity of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is based on the careful selection and preparation of the quality raw materials and ingredients used in its production.

The juiciness to the bite of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ after cooking originates from the selected pork trimmings, in which fat is embedded in muscle tissue. Since the quality of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is ensured by the standardised trimmings from various anatomical parts, when cutting the carcass the master butcher separates specific groups of muscle from different parts of the anatomy (leg, shoulder, neck and back). Then, through a visual assessment, they separate excess fat from the trimmings. The preparation and selection of the trimmings is a combination of skill and knowledge about how to cut the carcass and about the culinary properties of the meat and is the result of many years’ experience. In short, ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is a product whose quality is based on high-quality trimmings and not on lean, pure meat.

Another specific characteristic of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ that depends on the skill of the master butcher is splicing. Splicing is a process in which the sausages are tied by hand into pairs using a small wooden stick. Splicing achieves the correct geometric shape through which the smoke passes in uniform concentrations along the surface of the product, which gives ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ a uniform colour. Splicing requires considerable experience.

The ‘infusion’ of fresh garlic and dry white wine gives ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ its characteristic mild taste of garlic and wine. Master butchers knows how fresh garlic should taste and smell. They know how to choose from among different varieties to select the garlic used to prepare the infusion.

The pickled hot pepperoni or crushed hot paprika give ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ its mild spiciness.

During the stabilisation phase, the ingredients in the stuffing are more compacted, which results in the rounded taste of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’.

The typical taste of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ emerges during smoking. The wood for smoking is prepared by selecting healthy logs from which the bark is removed. The wood is set alight in a separate area from the smokehouse. After the reddening phase, the sausages are hung up inside the smokehouse, a layer of coals sprinkled with a layer of sawdust is placed underneath them, and the sausages are smoked in accordance with the requirements of the product specification. ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ turns a light-to-dark reddish-brown colour, depending on the duration and temperature of the smoking.

The significance of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ for the geographical area in which it is produced and the reputation it enjoys are best demonstrated by the Festival of Samoborska češnofka, which has been organised by the town of Samobor as part of its spring fair for the past 10 years (poster – 10th Festival of Samoborska češnofka). The Festival aims to present and promote the traditional production method and original recipe for ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’, as evidenced by numerous articles (local newsletter Glasnik Samobora i Svete Nedelje, 2 April 2010 and 10 May 2019).

Samobor and the surrounding area are a tourist destination where catering plays a key role. ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ has long formed an essential part of the gastronomic offering of the region’s restaurants, mountain lodges and family farms (Samoborska vinska cesta [Samobor wine route] – brochure, Samobor Wine Route Association, town of Samobor, 2017, pp. 26 and 33, and menu of the Samoborska pivnica restaurant), and at various traditional events, such as the famous Samobor Carnival and Samobor Salami Festival.

An article published in the magazine Meso in 2009 entitled ‘Samoborska salamijada’ [Samobor Salami Festival] talks about the tradition of making garlic sausage, salami and other cured meat products in the Samobor area. The reputation of ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ and its link with the Samobor area are demonstrated by the following sentences: ‘Samobor is known far and wide for the abundance of delicacies that make it one of the places with the richest culinary offerings. “Muštarda”, “bermet”, “kremšnite”, game, “Samoborska češnjovka”… rightfully enjoy the status of ‘gastronomic icons.’ (Magazine Meso, Samobor Salami Festival, Vol. XI No 1, 2009, pp. 2–3).

‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is a commonly used ingredient in traditional dishes. The portal Dobar život contains a recipe for leek stew with garlic sausage that points out that ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ is a highly prized product (the portal Dobar život, 2015, Leek stew with garlic sausage).

The section of the official website of the town of Samobor on the gastronomy of the Samobor area presents ‘Samoborska češnjovka / Samoborska češnofka’ as one of the most recognisable gastronomic specialities, stating that it is ‘another of our region’s world-class products, the one that has given Samobor its good reputation for over a century now and has made it an increasingly attractive tourist and gastronomic destination’. This statement demonstrates clearly the product’s reputation and its inextricable link with the Samobor region (website of the town of Samobor, Gastronomy, Samobor salami and garlic sausage).

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://poljoprivreda.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/hrana/proizvodi_u_postupku_zastite-zoi-zozp-zts/SPECIFIKACIJA_Samoborska_%C4%8De%C5%A1njovka_.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.