By: UKOM
In yesterday’s Official Journal, the European Commission published the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/656 of 21 April 2021 entering a name in the register of Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (Slovenska potica), thereby protecting Slovenska potica as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG). The protection under the traditional speciality guaranteed does not limit the production of Slovenska potica to a specific area. It can be produced anywhere, provided that the producer holds a certificate of compliance of the production with the specification of Slovenska potica.
Minister Podgoršek stressed that he was very proud that Slovenska potica, the ambassador for Slovenia and a traditional Slovenian dessert, was the new protected product that would help Slovenia to improve its worldwide visibility. “Slovenian gastronomy has a very rich tradition. Slovenian food has an identity, which also reflects in the protected products at the EU level. There is no other dish that would symbolise the festive menu of Slovenians better than potica. Slovenia holds this year’s title of the European Region of Gastronomy. In this context, the protection represents an additional confirmation and encouragement to believe in traditional Slovenian dishes prepared by hard-working hands and to exploit their full potential. This will further increase Slovenia’s recognition as a country that is proud of its tradition and knows how to prepare culinary wonders using only the best of local ingredients from our countryside, which are produced by our farmers. I would like to congratulate all those who encouraged and contributed to the protection of Slovenska potica and all the hard-working hands that have been preparing the ‘Slovenian Queen of desserts’ for many years.”
The Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia, the Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and the Chamber of Craft of Slovenia submitted in 2017 a joint application to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food for the protection of Slovenska potica under the traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG).
The Ministry protected Slovenska potica at the national level in December 2017 and submitted the application for the protection of Slovenska potica to the European Commission in early 2018. Austria lodged an opposition to the application for the protection of Slovenska potica – which was under consideration by the European Commission – aiming to protect its producers who manufacture products with similar names, such as potize and putize. Slovenia and Austria agreed that Austrian producers may continue to use these names since Slovenia’s goal was to protect the name of Slovenska potica and not potica or other derivatives of this name.
Potica, which holds a special place in Slovenian gastronomy, is a Slovenian specialty and an attraction. It is almost considered a national symbol, which has been decorating festive tables of Slovenians for centuries. Even though potica is known in all Slovenian regions, it differs in names, fillings, types of dough and shape. There are over 100 different types of potica. It is said that there are as many delicious recipes for the fillings as there are different housewives.
However, there is only one Slovenska potica. It is protected for its unique dough, fillings and form. The protected Slovenska potica may be prepared with five different traditional fillings: walnut, walnut and raisin, raisin, tarragon or tarragon with cottage cheese. The traditional mould for baking Slovenska potica is called potičnik, which gives potica its only possible shape. Slovenska potica is a ring-shaped loaf with a hole in the middle and with smooth or fluted sides. It must have at least three to four turns and it may have an additional one or two if baked in a larger potičnik. The smallest Slovenska potica may be baked in a potičnik with a bottom diameter of 14 cm.
Slovenska potica can be dusted with icing sugar, thus representing a national dessert that Slovenians are very proud of.
Producers who want to manufacture the protected Slovenska potica (TSG) must first be certified, while other producers may continue to use the names of potica, orehova potica or similar.
Source and more information: gov.si