Brussels – Italian culinary traditions and food specialities have once again come to the fore: today (15 October), the European Commission has approved the registration of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for the Capocollo di Martina Franca (Puglia). This is a meat product made from the upper part of the pig’s neck, linked to the traditional pork-curing practices of the Itria Valley.
This cured meat is renowned for the use of cooked wine – made from Verdeca and Bianco d’Alessano grapes – for being smoked using wood and dried fragno leaves, and for the use of natural pig casings in its preparation. The Berlaymont Building states in its press release that the product has also been registered because “its distinctive qualities are linked to a long-established artisanal production method, in which all stages are carried out by hand.”
In addition to the capocollo di Martina Franca, the following have also been registered today as PGI products: čepinski kupus, a vegetable product originating from the Osijek-Baranja County in Croatia, French “des Landes” honey, and a type of Guatemalan coffee, “café Antigua”. A press release from the Italian government states that “with this new designation, the number of PDO – Protected Designation of Origin – and PGI Italian agri-food products registered at the European level rises to 332.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
