Following this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) an opposition with the Commission within 3 months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Savolainen mustikkakukko'

EU No: PGI-FI-03222 — 27.3.2024

PDO ( )PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)

’Savolainen mustikkakukko'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Finland

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 2.3. Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker's wares

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ is a double-crust pastry baked in a dish. It has a rye crust and a bilberry filling. The crust is made mainly of rye. The crust has a sweet taste and a light-brown colour. The filling has a fresh taste and a dark-blue colour with lilac tints. The filling is moist. The shape of the pastry ranges from round to rectangular.

‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ differs from ordinary berry pies because of its structure. As this is a double-crust pie, the berries remain juicy. The rye and barley flour make for a crisp crust. Wild bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) growing in the forest are used for the pastry filling.

Preparation of ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’:

Raw materials of the crust: butter or margarine (incl. lactose-free), sugar, rye flour, barley flour (if necessary to make the crust crumblier) and baking powder.

Sugar is added to the softened fat and worked in until frothy, before adding the mix of flour (mainly rye flour) and baking powder. About three fourths of the ready dough is pressed down onto the bottom and edges of the oven dish.

Filling: Wild bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), potato flour (to retain moisture, if necessary) and sugar or jam sugar, with pectin added as a thickener to give the bilberry filling a jam-like consistency.

The dish is lined with dough and filled with bilberries. The bilberries may be whole or mashed, or bilberry jam may be used. Potato flour may be mixed with the bilberries to retain moisture. The structure and sweetness of the bilberries may be adjusted by using sugar or jam sugar. A lid is made from the remaining dough, either by rolling it out or pressing it down gently onto the pie so that the bilberries are covered. Once the pastry lid has been closed and the edges pressed down to seal the pie, the ‘mustikkakukko’ is baked in the oven at 170-200 °C for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. After baking, the surface of ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ should be light brown.

The pastry is usually consumed as a dessert or with coffee, accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or custard.

It is also possible to make smaller portions of the pastry, e.g. for sale or to be served as a dessert at a restaurant. In this case, the pastry is baked in a small ramekin, suitable for a dessert for one person. When using individual ramekins, the amount of bilberries is smaller than for a large dish.

The size and weight of ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ may vary depending on the mould/dish and portion size.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All the steps in the production of ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ must take place in the defined geographical area.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

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3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the regions of North Savo and South Savo.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The Protected Geographical Indication ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ is based on the product’s reputation as a traditional Savo pastry. It is characterised by a double-crust structure, a crust made principally of rye flour and a filling made of wild bilberries picked in the forest (in addition to bilberries, the filling may contain potato flour and sugar or jam sugar). Where necessary, barley flour may also be added to the crust to make it crumblier.

Savolainen mustikkakukko combines the berry-picking culture specific to the geographical area of Savo and the diverse use of rye rooted in the ancient tradition of slash-and-burn agriculture.

Savo’s leafy forests, hilly landscapes and glades and the rugged heaths where berries grow have shaped the area’s culinary culture for centuries. For a long time, the vast wilderness of Savo served as hunting, berry-picking and fishing grounds, until people learned a new farming skill, i.e., the slash-and-burn system. A ‘kaski’ (‘swidden’) is forest land cleared for cultivation by slashing and burning vegetation.

‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ is seen as linked to eastern Finland’s slash-and-burn tradition, characterised by the extensive use of rye. Rye, in particular, was formerly used extensively on swidden land, because shrub-like primitive rye provided excellent yields in swidden fields.

Finland has a concept called ‘everyman's right’.

Everyman's right allows one to pick wild berries and move freely in nature, regardless of who owns the area. As a result, the culture of picking wild berries is alive and well in Finland and people know how to use them in a variety of ways. ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ is a good example of a berry pastry rooted in a very long tradition.

A number of sources refer to ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ as a traditional food from Savo. For example, when pairing together Finnish flavours and regions, the food and beverage corporation Paulig Group linked the mustikkakukko pastry to North Savo. In 1984, ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ was selected as the provincial dish of Mikkeli in South Savo.

Jaakko Kolmonen’s cookbook about the provincial dishes of Finland, ‘Suomen pitäjäruuat’ (Vaasa Oy) mentions ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’. Jaakko Kolmonen was a celebrity chef, TV personality and an expert in making traditional foods.

‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ is also mentioned in Bertta Räsänen’s cookbook ‘Savolainen keittokirja’ (Kustannuskiila 1985) and in ‘Pohjois- ja Etelä-Savon ruokaperinnettä’ (Kustannuskiila 1981) about North Savo and South Savo culinary traditions, in Sinikka Määttalä’s and Eila Ollikainen’s cookbook ‘Hyvvee ja hyvän parasta’ (North Savo Vocational Institute 2000), in the cookbook ‘Syömälysti’ (Gummerus 2009) and in ‘Savo a la carte’ (2009).

The ‘Savolainen mustikkakukko’ pastry is typically served at various cultural events. It is served, for example, at different cafés and restaurants, mostly as a dessert, but also as an accompaniment to coffee.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/globalassets/elintarvikkeet/elintarvikeala/ainesosat-ja-sisalto/nimisuojatut-tuotteet/hakemus_savolainen_mustikkakukko_final.pdf

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(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11.4.2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).