EU Commission adds Taggiasca Olives and Carne Salada to PGI list

   Brussels – Taggia, in Liguria, and Trento will be happy to know that the European Commission has awarded the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) label to their products. The new additions to the prestigious list are Ligurian Taggiasca olives and Trentino’s Carne Salada. The two delicious foods become the 268th and 269th Italian products on the crowded list. Preceding them on the list are Italian specialities such as Nero d’Avola, Pizzoccheri della Valtellina, or Caciottone di Norcia. Italy, in the European derby for Protected Geographical Indication products, has no rivals, effortlessly outpacing Spain (155) and its transalpine cousins, France (240). 

The Commission recognised the history and tradition behind these typical products. Taggiasca olives originate in the small town of Taggia, in the province of Imperia. Here, Benedictine monks planted the first tree of this particular species of olive in the 10th century. The plant that produces the typical dark Taggia olive has, since that time, been very dense and fertile, but at the same time susceptible to frost: biological characteristics that are perfect for a region like Liguria, wedged between mountains and sea. 

Salted Meat has an even more ancient history. Its earliest processing has its roots in Roman times and spread throughout the Empire. Only in the mountains of the Autonomous Province of Trento, however, does the tradition of covering the beef with coarse salt, letting it mature for a month, and then consuming it remain. The technique, once used solely to preserve food better, has withstood the test of time.