Mircea Marian: "The Salaj palinca is on the way of entering the elite of alchoolic beverages that are recognized in Europe - among calavados, grappa, aquavit or ouzo."
The Ministry of Agriculture agreed that this alchool, obtained, mainly from plums and produced only in Salaj, is a traditional beverage. It's name is now established in Romania and it will be just a formality for it's recognition on the European market.
Apparently, a Transylvanians victory against Hungary, that, initially, wanted the monopoly over the name "palinka". The Austrians can use this term only for the drinks produced in the East of the country, from apricots. In any case, this is the begining of a long and complicated battle for Romania's identity in the European Union. I know, many will smile ironically: is the first step of an identity construction made by alchool, and not by the national culture? Well, with all the risks included in this statement, I think that oftenly a glass of palinca has a more lasting effect than an ordinary art museum, in which king Carol I threw away paintings bought from the consul Bamberg. Had anybody went to Lisbon's art museum? But I am convinced that all those who visited the Capital of Portugal remember the little restaurants from the old city, the fish dishes and the local white wine, called Vinho Verde.
For Romania, the fact that Transylvanians united - in Salaj are 35 palinca producers - and promoted their common European interests represents quite little. Even them will have to prove, in the future, that, once recognized in the European Union, that they will preserve their product quality. It will not be possible for the alchool level to vary from year to year just because a producer found it hard to stir in the palinca boiler.
As for the food products, it's a long way until they will benefit from their original name or geographical identity protection. The Czech Republic already obtained this recognition for 12 products, among others a conserved cabage and the Budejovice beer. Hungary registered at the European Union, the Szeged salami, and the Slovenians defend their olive oil produced in the Istrian region. In our country, in the begining of April, there was no request for a traditional food product recognition.
Romanian agricultural workers should not complain that the state doesn't come to their aid. The shepherds received a special permission to use wood containers instead of the sofisticated stainless boilers. The Ministry of Agriculture fights for all the traditional beverages producers, in order for them to benefit from a tax reduction, like those from Austria or Hungary. Local producers must first co-operate and prepare their case seriously.
For the Europeans obsessed by the cholesterol level, the Slaj palinca would be unforgetable with a piece of bacon (the Germans registred three kinds of bacon), with some onion or garlic (the French had the Lautrec garlic protected) and a little bit of cheese (the Greeks have the control over the name of about 20 assortments, including feta).
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