Protected Croatian Agri-Food Products (C)

Baranjski kulen

Baranjski kulen (Baranja kulen) is a fermented cured meat sausage made from pork and seasoned with paprika, garlic and pepper in a natural casing, light to dark brown on the outside, and light to dark red on the inside. The characteristic smoked fermented meat aroma blends well with the garlic and the pepper, with the paprika lending a mildly spicy tang.

The addition of pepper sets baranjski kulen apart from other kulen products. In adding pepper to their sausages, kulen producers from Baranja followed the lead of South Hungarian salami producers, whose technology they were familiar with, since farms held by Austro-Hungarian nobles formed the backbone of Baranja’s economy. Thanks to their well-branched trade routes, Baranja had great connections with Europe, and the resulting accessibility of pepper was probably the reason why the producers of baranjski kulen started using it in the first place.

PZ Baranjka, the company Belje’s meat processing facility based in Beli Manastir, has been the largest producer of baranjski kulen since World War II. The recipe was a trade secret, and master kulen maker Radivoj Vuković, who obtained the “panonski kulin” recipe from a sausage maker in Karanac, was in charge of the production. Vuković followed this recipe, but changed the product’s name to baranjski kulen, as it was more commonly referred to among the producers in Baranja. Legend has it that he used to keep his recipe in a locked safe until he realised that all producers in Baranja followed the same recipe.

The name baranjski kulen received a Protected Geographic Indication from the European Union on 23 September 2015, protecting it against any form of abuse across the EU. Only products made according to the product specification for the Protected Geographic Indication baranjski kulen, whose producers have a valid certificate of compliance with the product specification, issued by the relevant authority, can be marketed under this name.

Lički krumpir

The quality of lički krumpir (Lika potatoes) is mainly associated with the geographic region where it is grown. Its distinctive floury taste and crisp, dry texture, a result of its high dry matter content of at least 19% and its high starch content, set lički krumpir apart from potatoes grown in other regions. Lički krumpir owes its distinctive features to the specific climate of the region, where it is grown at a minimal altitude of 400 m, with sunny days and crisp nights helping sugar accumulate in the tubers and increase its dry matter content.

These potatoes can have a smooth or coarse peel, yellow, brown or reddish epidermis, and light yellow to yellow flesh. The elongated oval tubers measure between 35 and 90 cm. To preserve its traditional appearance, lički krumpir is not washed before it is shipped off to stores. Rather, the dirt is brushed off prior to packing. It owes its Protected Geographic Indication not only to its quality, a result of the distinctive natural characteristics of the region where it is grown, but also to the product name’s reputation, a result of the long-standing potato-growing tradition in Lika.

Potatoes still have a special status in collective memory, everyday use, and the understanding of quality for the locals, who used them as a bread replacement. The reputation of lički krumpir peaked at the beginning of the century with the organisation of a number of gastronomy and culture events in the region. These events, the most famous of which are the Lika Potato Days, continue to be organised still.

The name lički krumpir received a Protected Geographic Indication from the European Union on 30 September 2015, protecting it against any form of abuse across the EU. Only products made according to the product specification for the Protected Geographic Indication lički krumpir, whose producers have a valid certificate of compliance with the product specification, issued by the relevant authority, can be marketed under this name.

Ogulinski kiseli kupus/ogulinsko kiselo zelje

Ogulinski kiseli kupus/ogulinsko kiselo zelje (Ogulin sauerkraut) is a product distinguished by its quality, a result of natural factors in the area where it is grown as well as the knowledge and skills used in its production in the wider area of the town of Ogulin and the municipalities of Josipdol, Plaški, Tounj and Saborsko.

Ogulin cabbage, from which ogulinski kiseli kupus/ogulinsko kiselo zelje is made, differs from other cabbage varieties by its very long stem and its multitude of thin, almost translucent, and very flexible, thin-veined leaves. The heads are round, flat and firm, and the leaves yellow or golden yellow in colour. A natural fermentation process is used in the production of ogulinski kiseli kupus/ogulinsko kiselo zelje, with a salt solution as the only typical addition. Anaerobic conditions lead to the formation of lactic acid, a natural preservative.

Ogulinski kiseli kupus/ogulinsko kiselo zelje owes its outstanding quality to the specific geographic conditions of the region where it is made, a combination of climate, soil type and the autochthonous cabbage variety. The human factor – the know-how and skills used in the production process – are instrumental to achieving this quality. The cabbage heads are hand-picked. Pickers judge their appearance, firmness and size on the spot and decide if they are ready to be harvested. The size of the cabbage head determines if it will go to the fermentation pool as a whole head or if it will be shredded prior to fermentation. To avoid damage to the cabbage heads during the picking process, the pickers sort them by hand, and they are then stacked in the fermentation pools by hand as well.

The name ogulinski kiseli kupus/ogulinsko kiselo zelje received a Protected Geographic Indication from the European Union on 21 August 2015, protecting it against any form of abuse across the EU. Only products made according to the product specification for the Protected Geographic Indication ogulinski kiseli kupus / ogulinsko kiselo zelje, whose producers have a valid certificate of compliance with the product specification, issued by the relevant authority, can be marketed under this name.

Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indication or Traditional Specialty Guaranteed are the marks of products whose names, as such, are protected in the entire European Union, and that are produced in accordance with the prescribed Product Specifications. With the protection of the name, the producers protect the reputation of their products from misuse. Once the product name is protected, it can be used only by those producers who have the proper Certificate of Product Compliance with Product Specifications. Penalties have been prescribed for each type of misuse.

PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN is the mark of a product that is entirely produced within a specific geographical area utilizing acknowledged skills and using raw materials and ingredients from that area. The quality of such a product is directly tied to the natural and human factors of the geographical area of production.

PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL DESIGNATION is the mark used for products that are, with their quality and reputation, tied to a specific geographical area where at least one, that is, crucial production phase, takes place.