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

2009/C 223/11

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘TARTA DE SANTIAGO’

EC No: ES-PGI-0005-0616-03.07.2007

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name:

‘Tarta de Santiago’

2.   Member State or Third Country:

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product (as in Annex II):

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

A traditional Galician cake made using almonds, sugar and eggs as described in Section 3.3 of this document.

Sensory characteristics:

Presentation: there are two basic presentations: with and without a base. Each of them comes in different sizes.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only):

The ingredients used to make Tarta de Santiago (without a base or excluding the base) are:

For the cake with a base, the latter must not account for more than 25 % of the weight of the cake and may be made of:

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

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

Making and decorating the ‘Tarta de Santiago’.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

Packaging must take place in the production facilities indicated in the register kept by the Regulatory Board. Packaging must be carried out at the production site firstly because the product is a very fragile cake which is crumbly and has a coating of icing sugar, making it difficult to handle and transport the product without the protection provided by the packaging itself. Secondly, to preserve hygiene and avoid contamination. The packaging process can therefore be said to be part of the production process.

The packaging used must be new, clean, separate for each unit and made of materials suitable for storing and transporting the product.

3.7.   Specific rules on labelling:

Cakes marketed with the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Tarta de Santiago’ must, after being certified as conforming to the specification, carry a numbered seal, label or secondary label, approved and issued by the Regulatory Board and bearing a sequential alphanumeric code and the official logo of the Protected Geographical Indication (see below).

The labels and secondary labels must state: ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida “Tarta de Santiago”’. The words ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida “Tarta de Santiago”’ must stand out on the labels and packaging in addition to the other general information required by law.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area of the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Tarta de Santiago’ covers the entire area of the Autonomous Community of Galicia.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

Products made from almonds have been consumed in Galicia since ancient times, giving rise to a traditional cake which is now part of Galician cuisine, even though the region itself has few almond trees.

These almond-based products were originally eaten by the upper classes. They later gained popularity among the general population and are now a typical and traditional Galician dessert, ‘Tarta de Santiago’ being one of the oldest traditional specialities of Galician baking.

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

‘Tarta de Santiago’ is a dessert which is clearly different in terms of both its appearance and taste as well as its colour and spongy, granulated texture. Its shape and the Cross of the Order of Santiago on top make this cake easy to recognise.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The oldest reference to the manufacture and consumption of almond sponge cake, known today as ‘Tarta de Santiago’, dates back to 1577 in the context of a visit by Don Pedro de Portocarrero to the University of Santiago de Compostela and his study of the meals provided for the professors during the ceremony for the award of degrees.

The first reliable recipes appeared in the Cuaderno de confitería, which was compiled by Luis Bartolomé de Leybar around 1838, and El confitero y el pastelero, a book by Eduardo Merín which was very useful for cooks, innkeepers and confectioners. The chronology of these works and their unmistakeably Galician origin confirm both how far the preparation goes back in time and its link to local gastronomic traditions. The fact that this cake did not appear in cookery books elsewhere in Spain until the 20th century shows that it was not considered to be part of the national baking heritage and that it was long regarded as a regional speciality. This all lends weight to the argument that the cake is of Galician origin and strengthens its close link to tradition, gastronomy and taste in Galicia.

Furthermore, in traditional Galician cake shops ‘Tarta de Santiago’ is still made using recipes dating back to at least the end of the 19th century. The founder of ‘Casa Mora’, a cake shop in Santiago de Compostela, started decorating the almond cakes with a silhouette of the Cross of Saint James in 1924. This idea was a great success and soon spread throughout Galicia.

Lastly, in the Spanish Inventory of Traditional Products published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1996, ‘Tarta de Santiago’ appears in the section on pastry makers’ products, which is further proof of the product's link to the Autonomous Community of Galicia.

Reference to publication of the specification:

Order of 29 December 2006 adopting a favourable decision on the application to register the protected geographical indication ‘Tarta de Santiago’.

Galician Official Gazette No 5 of 8 January 2007.

http://www.xunta.es/doc/Dog2007.nsf/a6d9af76b0474e95c1257251004554c3/9eff9ab5be0f8a9ec125725a004cf842/$FILE/00500D006P012.PDF