|
by Barbara Penny Angelakis
How many times have you attempted a new or special dish that you have been dying (sic) to taste in anticipation of an outstanding treat - such as melon with prosciutto or Kalamata olives with feta cheese or asparagus risotto with parmigiano cheese - only to feel “so what’s the big deal, that wasn’t so special”? Well chances are that whether you prepared the dish at home or ordered it at a restaurant, the ingredients used in the preparation of the dish were not authentic and so did not live up to dish’s reputation and your expectation. To combat this dilemma, the European Union together with the United States and Canada, have each created designation systems to protect and promote traditional and regional specialty food products.
European Authentic Tastes (EAT) is waging an information campaign to educate and inform chefs and consumers alike regarding the official “Designations of Quality” symbols that guarantee the buyer is getting the authentic European product they are expecting. This designation system was inspired by the national classifications for protecting and guaranteeing the origin of regional wines, such as the French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) and the Italian DOC (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata).
Four symbols are used to guarantee food specialty product authenticity and excellence. If you are paying top dollar for an authentic imported item, no product from the European market should be purchased without the protection of one of these stamps. Protected Geographical Designation of Origin or PDO products fall under the banner of a product essentially or exclusively linked to a particular geographic region. The production, processing, and preparation of the product must take place in the defined geographical area and often has been produced in the same place and manner for hundreds of years. An example would be Kalamata olives from Greece.
 Protected Geographic Indication or PGI defines a product associated with a geographical area but not all phases of production necessarily take place in the same local; Tuscan Olive Oil from Italy is a prime example. In this case, the olives might be harvested elsewhere but the processing is done in the Tuscan tradition.
Traditional Specialty Guaranteed or TSG describes a production method rather than a region and guarantees the product is produced from traditional materials or using traditional techniques that are rigidly defined. And, the final designation is Organic Farming. It is used to indicate producers that favor renewable resources and recycling methods that help sustain ecosystems and reduce pollution in farming. In livestock production, the focus is on employing natural and humane conditions during all phases of production.
EAT and Sopexa USA - an integrated marketing services and communications agency dedicated to the promotion of French and European food, wine, and spirits – invited a group of food and wine writers to an interactive gastronomic experience in order to highlight the PDO, PGI, TSG, and Organic designation system.
 Our group was asked to drape ourselves in professional chef’s aprons and plop a chef’s toque on our heads to help in the preparation of a gourmet lunch. After being cautioned to be wary of the razor-sharp chef’s knifes, we set about chopping and grating while Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman’s “Guide to Good Eating” fame, counseled us in buying and using authentic ingredients, especially when specified in a recipe.
Case in point: Ham, Leek & Three-Cheese Quiche was to be our appetizer du jour (see recipe at Cook’s Corner) and the recipe called for a specific type of ham, Schwarzwälder Schinken (PGI, Germany) also known as Black Forest Ham. A well-known purveyor of fine foods  was given the order and the expensive product delivered was indeed Black Forest Ham but not Schwarzwälder Schinken. The two hams plus Speck from Alto Adige (PGI, Italy) and Prosciutto di Parma (PDO, Italy) were placed side by side and we were invited to a comparison taste of each thinly sliced imported ham. Each ham had it’s own distinct flavor, salt or smoky content, texture and aftertaste and could have overwhelmed the quiche or disappeared under the onslaught of rich cheese. Only one was the “right” one… the one the recipe specifically called for, and the only way to insure that you are getting what you have paid for is by insisting on the “Designations of Quality” labeling.
Our lunch menu consisted of Blue Stilton (PDO, United Kingdom) & Walnut Gougères; and Arancini made with Calasparra Rice (PDO, Spain), Azafrán de La Mancha (PDO, Spain), Parmigiano Reggiano (PDO, Italy), Fontina Valle d’Aosta (PDO, Italy), and Prosciutto di Parma (PDO, Italy); the aforementioned appetizer; Budĕjovické pivo (PGI, Czech Republic Beer) marinated Strip Steak; Potato Gratin with West Country Farmhouse Cheddar (PDO, United Kingdom); and Green Asparagus with Speck de Alto Adige (PGI, Italy) and Pecorino Romano (PDO, Italy). Dessert consisted of a cheese course and Warm Framboise Lambic (TSG, Belgium) Brownies served with raspberries and whipped cream… all recipes courtesy of ICE Instructor Chef Scott McMillen. Wines from France were served throughout.
Overall, our class and the luncheon were delicious, informative, and fun, and we ended the experience with an improved gastronomical vocabulary.
© December 2006 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
