PROTECTED CROATIAN AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS, Ogulinski kiseli kupus

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.