July the 4th, 2023 – Yet another Croatian project (the 44th to be precise) has earned the European Union’s protected designation of origin (PDO) label. Varazdin pumpkin oil has joined the growing list.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as stated, the much loved Varazdin pumpkin oil has now officially received the European Union’s PDO label, the European Commission announced in the Official Journal of the European Union on July the 3rd, 2023.
The label equals authenticity
With this move, Varazdin pumpkin oil joined the list of 44 Croatian products to get a PDO label and become protected throughout the European Union. This EU label guarantees the consumer the purchase of an authentic product.
The procedure for the protection of the oil’s name was initiated by the Varazdin Pumpkin Oil Association, which submitted its request to the Ministry of Agriculture for the label.
Centuries-old traditions from Varazdin
Varazdin pumpkin oil is a virgin edible oil obtained by frying and mechanically pressing the seeds of a certain type of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.), and is used as an addition to dishes and salads. It is typically dark green to black in colour with a reddish glow. The aroma has, among other things, a very specific nutty taste. It is aromatic and has a smooth and a clearly recognisable smell of roasted pumpkin seeds. It is characterised by fragrant, spicy notes and is considered to be well-balanced. The texture of the oil is rounded and refined, with good viscosity, it is also visually attractive and shiny.
The production of Varazdin pumpkin oil, from the very planting of the pumpkins to obtaining the oil, has a centuries-old tradition across Varazdin County. Based on the experience and knowledge of the manufacturer, the processing of the seeds into the end product is carried out at lower temperatures, due to which sweeter aromatic notes are released than would be achieved at normal frying temperatures. In addition, when preparing the dough from ground pumpkin seeds, small amounts of kitchen salt are added, which contributes to the special quality this oil boasts.
More and more Croatian products are getting registered
The Republic of Croatia now has 44 agricultural and food products whose names are registered in the European Union as products with protected designations of origin or protected designations of geographical origin.
