EU Commission Safeguards Traditional Greek and Turkish Products

Brussels (Eurotoday) – The EU Commission added “Tsalafouti” cheese and “Gaziantep Melengiç Kahvesi” coffee substitute to the PDO registry.

The European Commission approved the addition of the two products “Τσαλαφουτι / Tsalafouti” and “Gaziantep Melengiç Kahvesi” to the Register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO).

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is a kind of geographical indication of the European Union striving to preserve the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was formed in 1992 and its main objective is to designate products that have been produced, processed and created in a specific geographical location, using the recognized know-how of local producers and ingredients from the region involved.

“Τσαλαφουτι / Tsalafouti”, a white spreadable cheese that comes from Greece, with a soft and creamy texture and a mild aroma reminiscing the local herbs ingested by the animals that graze freely in the region. The cheese has been made since the 17th century at the south-central end of the Pindus mountain field, especially from sheep’s milk. Its production echoes the specific climate, flora and agricultural traditions of the region, which assist in the unique taste and excellent quality of the cheese.

“Gaziantep Melengiç Kahvesi” is a coffee substitute from Turkey made by roasting and crushing the seeds of the terebinth tree, a tree that is produced naturally in the mountainous areas of Gaziantep Province in southeastern Turkey. Terebinth roots have been used to make a coffee substitute in the area since the 16th century. Gaziantep’s sunny climate and rough terrain improve the oil content and flavour of the seeds, while traditional roasting processes perfected by local practices ensure a high-quality product.