The Reggio Emilia Erbazzone – already registered for some time in the list of traditional agri-food products – could soon be included among the PDO and PGI food specialties of Emilia-Romagna. The Erbazzone Reggiano Producers Association, in fact, has submitted the application for recognition for the Protected Geographical Indication, which is attributed by the European Union.
The Erbazzone reggiano, whose recipe dates back to the medieval period, is a savory pie filled with herbs, consisting of two sheets of unleavened dough, made with soft wheat flour, water, lard and salt, inside which is contained a filling based on spinach and chard cooked and flavored with a sauté prepared with onion and lard and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It is round or rectangular in shape, irregular, between 1 and 3 cm thick and weighing between 300 g. and 3 Kg. Other optional ingredients are milk and extra virgin olive oil and butter to complement the lard. The addition of preservatives, flavorings and/or other additives is prohibited. The filling, in a quantity of your choice but with a minimum proportion of 50% by weight compared to that of the raw finished product, is spread between two layers of thin dough and enclosed at the edges. After having sprinkled the upper layer with pork lard, Erbazzone Reggiano is cooked in the oven and served cut into rectangular/square pieces or wedges.
The production area of the Erbazzone Reggiano PGI is made up of the entire territory of the Province of Reggio Emilia.
The Emilia-Romagna Region is working together with the consortia for the protection and promotion of PDO and PGI which have a great economic and productive value for many agri-food companies, the second export item of Emilia-Romagna after mechanics and engines.
Moreover, the latest edition of the Ismea-Qualivita Report confirms the importance of Emilia-Romagna in the European system of geographical indications. Emilia-Romagna is the first Italian region for food PDO and PGI impact: the 44 registered denominations represent a production value of 3.1 billion euros (and a 12% growth compared to 2020/21), which they become 3.6 billion overall, if added to the 30 denominations registered for wine.
With the start of the recognition process, the group of producers gathered in the promoting association has adopted a disciplinary that defines the production requirements and the aspects that qualify the link with the area of origin.
The Emilia-Romagna Region will now start the evaluation phase of the registration application in order to issue an opinion. In the thirty days following publication in the Regional Official Bulletin, the documentation presented by the promoters remains available to anyone who wants to view it, in order to evaluate any interests involved and opposing and provide for the collection of observations useful for issuing the regional opinion.