Two Croatian food products from Zagorje protected at EU level

ZAGREB, 8 March 2022 (Hina) – The two Croatian products, ‘Zagorski štrukli’/’Zagorski štruklji’ and ‘Zagorski bagremov med’, have been entered in the EU register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday.

Croatia now has 35 agricultural products and foodstuffs protected at the EU level, ranking seventh in the EU, the Ministry added.

In the Official Journal of the European Union of 7 March, the European Commission said that the name ‘Zagorski štrukl’i/’Zagorski štruklji’ was entered in the register as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), while ‘Zagorski bagremov med’ was registered as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

This makes the two product names protected in the entire EU.

These labels on the packaging guarantee the consumers that they have purchased an authentic products, the Ministry said.

The application to register the name ‘Zagorski štrukli’/’Zagorski štruklji’ was submitted by the association for the protection, preservation and promotion of traditional Zagorje products “Tradicija Zagorja” (The Tradition of Zagorje), and the process of protecting the name began in August 2018.

Zagorski štrukli (Photo: Seanpu1/Public domain)

Zagorski štrukli/Zagorski štruklji is dish traditionally made in Hrvatsko Zagorje. It is made of dough with cottage cheese filling.

The process of protecting the name ‘Zagorski bagremov med’ also began in August 2018, the Krapina-Zagorje County beekeepers’ association submitted an application to the Agriculture Ministry for a protected designation of origin.

Zagorski bagremov med (Zagorje black locust honey, sometimes called acacia honey) is produced in Hrvatsko Zagorje from the nectar of Robinia pseudoacacia.