By Andria Kades

The Paphos sausage was added to the register of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), the European Commission announced on Tuesday, just over a year after Cyprus submitted the application.

Officially called ‘Pafitiko Loukaniko’, it falls under meat products and its newly inaugurated status of PGI means only the Paphos district can produce this meat.

Cyprus however will not stop with the sausage. Currently waiting to have halloumi / hellim designated as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), agriculture minister Nicos Kouyialis said up after halloumi are Agros sweet rose and Sotiras taro (kolokasi).

Calling it an important step to boost tourism, he said the Pafitiko Loukaniko was the first product to be registered and over the next six months, a lot more would be added.

“Cyprus needs to invest in gastronomy, that is why we will not stop here but will attempt to register more products like Pitsilia sausages, lountza, posyrti, and some other important products that are characteristic to Cyprus’ cuisine.”

No objections were raised to Cyprus’ sausage application and the last date for objections on the halloumi PDO application is on October 28, Kouyialis added.

“We will wait and see if there are any objections for the halloumi but even if this does happen we are positive that we can face them and succeed and there will be a registration soon.”

Asked to clarify the difference between the PDO and PGI, Kouyiallis said the former means the material to produce must come from one specific geographical area which in the case of halloumi is all of Cyprus.

For the PGI however the material can be sourced from several areas but would need to be produced in a certain place – in this case Paphos.

Therefore, Pafitiko Loukaniko producers can now revel in the fact that their city is the only one that can use its unique method of production to profit.

“The specificity of the geographical area, i.e. Paphos District, is due to its climatic and hydrogeological conditions (wet, westerly winds, high rainfall, sea breeze, etc.), which affect the cultivation and development of the local grapes and therefore the quality and characteristics of the wines,” which are used in the production, the official journal said.

The Pafitiko Loukaniko is made using pigmeat that is minced with coarse cooking salt, ground coriander, cumin, black pepper and various spices such as ground cinnamon, ground cloves and whole or ground mastic berries.

It is left to mature with dry red wine, locally produced in Paphos and when fully matured, the meat is put inside a pork casing and each is piece is folded / twisted so that each rope of sausages consists of six to 10 pieces (locally known as teratsia).

The description outlined in the official journal explains that these are then hung to dry for two or three days in an enclosed space and can be cooked using various ways.

“When they are ready the sausages have a characteristic flavour, due to the wine and all the spices that are added (notably the coriander, cumin and black pepper),” the journal said.





