Bangers and smashed it: Polish sausage listed on EU list of excellence
Polish sausages from Kraków have made it onto the European register of legally protected regional products.
The dried sausage, known as Kiełbasa Krakowska and awarded as a traditional speciality, joins a long list of 42 other products also included on the register.
One of the best-selling Polish sausages, the delicacy is made from the highest quality lean pork meat and is smoked or boiled and dried. Before World War II, Kraków enjoyed a good reputation for sausages not only within Poland but also abroad.
Following the fall of communism, the quality of sausages and other meat products deteriorated when the free market drove production costs down. The meat industry started to use chemicals, meats of low quality and preservatives.
But a resurgence in good food has now propelled the sausage onto the list of regional specialities.
Michał Rzytki, director of Promotion and Quality Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development told TFN: “Being listed on that register guarantees more confidence among customers abroad. Poland is a leader in that category.”
Polish garlic - the so called Galician garlic – has also been honoured after making it onto two EU- lists: the Protected Designation of Origin List and Protected Geographical Indication List.
The garlic comes from the Galicia region, which is the historical name of Polish countries that were part of the Austrian occupation area between 1774 and 1918.
The garlic comes from the Galicia region, which is the historical name of Polish countries that were part of the Austrian occupation area between 1774 and 1918.
The high quality and specific properties of the garlic are linked to the soil and climatic conditions of the terrain, as well as to the skills of local producers.
Galician garlic has a purple-pink colour and a large garlic bulb with few cloves.
The European labelling system was developed to label and protect specific regional products in the EU. It confirms the authenticity of the product and guarantees that it has been made according to the traditional recipe and in the right location.
The first Polish product on the list was bryndza podhalańska, a type of sheep's milk rennet cheese.
Rzytki told TFN: “Poland is ranked 8th among all EU countries in terms of the number of protected original products, which is a very good position.”
