“Sujuk Tarnovski” received recognition as a traditional food on the EU market

Bulgaria ranked second in terms of registered foods with a traditionally specific character in the European Union, after “Tarnovski sudjuk” was officially registered on Thursday.

The European Commission (EC) included it in the register of quality schemes for foods with a traditionally specific character (HTSC). Registration under the quality schemes entitles the product packaging to be marked with a special European mark. This is the seventh food registered by Bulgaria. In this way, the product is protected against counterfeiting and misuse.

“Sujuk Tarnovski” – “Tarnovski sudzhuk” is a traditional Bulgarian durable raw-dried meat product. Prepared from minced fresh meat, natural auxiliary materials and stuffed in natural casings. It has been produced for more than 50 years, by applying an original technology, which consists in appropriate sorting of meat, selection and dosage of spices, as well as forming the individual pieces in the shape of a horseshoe. During ripening and drying, the pressing characteristic of the national traditional raw-dried products is applied, which helps to achieve a specific appearance.

The initiative to register the name was taken by the “Traditional Raw-Dried Meat Products” Association, which submitted an application to the Ministry of Agriculture in 2020.

Together with the “Sujuk Tarnovski”/”Tarnovski sujuk” national products in the European register of HTSC and in the European register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) there are now 10 national products.

This: PGI “Gornooryahovski sudzhuk”, PGI “Bulgarian rose oil”, HTSC “Fillet Elena”, HTSC “Lukanka Panagyurska”, HTSC “Rolle Trapezitsa”, HTSC “Kaiserovan vrat Trakia”, HTSC “Pastrma beef”, PDO “Strandzhanski manov” honey”/”Manov honey from Strandzha”, as well as “Lukanka Troyanska”/”Troyanska lukanka” HTSC.