Scrumbia de Dunăre afumată, a smoked Pontic shad from Romania’s Danube Delta, has been registered as EU protected geographical indication (PGI).

It adds to the other Romanian food products that are protected in the EU: the Sibiu Salami, which got the protected geographical indication (PGI) in February of 2016; the Ibanesti Cheese, a protected designation of origin (PDO) since March 2016; the Topoloveni Plum Jam, protected geographical indication (PGI) since 2011, and Novac afumat din Tara Barsei, another smoked fish listed as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

Scrumbia de Dunăre afumată (Alosa pontica var. Danubii) is a wild fish that inhabits the Black Sea and migrates into the Danube to spawn. It does not feed during the entire round trip. The species cannot be reared in aquaculture facilities and the fish are caught only during their Danube migration.

It is caught, using a traditional method, only in the Danube, from its mouths to the meander known as Cotul Pisicii. Immediately after being caught, the shad is placed in tanks chilled with flaked ice.

Scrumbie de Dunăre afumată, a smoked Pontic shad from the Danube Delta, Romania, is now a registered protected geographical indication (PGI) ???
The fish is processed whole, salted and cold-smoked, an ancient method specific to the area #EUQuality
More: https://t.co/HONFrfg0n5 pic.twitter.com/VvDXW8tRMd

— EU Agriculture? (@EUAgri) December 3, 2018

It is processed whole and is salted and cold-smoked using an ancient method specific to the area. The smoked fish has a metallic golden color due to the smoking process. It has a succulent texture and a lightly-salted, smoked-fish taste with an oily consistency.

Romanian wine registered as EU protected designation of origin

(Photo: EU Agriculture on Twitter)

editor@romania-insider.com