Bulgaria now has its first registered TSGs (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) under EU law.

‘File Elena’ is a pressed dried raw meat product prepared from chilled or frozen pork tenderloin, auxiliary ingredients and natural seasonings. According to Class 46's informant, the ever-helpful and enthusiastic Ventsi Stoilov, this dish is "suitable for direct consumption by all consumer groups".  

The name comes from the town of Elena in northern Bulgaria, in the foothills of the forested Elena Balkan mountain range. As Ventsi explains, the centuries-old Bulgaria domestic traditions of preparing delicacies from beef, veal, sheepmeat and goatmeat provided a good basis for applying a similar technique in the case of pork as well. In a number of regions of the country where it was possible to keep pigs, products of this kind were made at home. The first known instances of a similar product being made from pork date back to 1855, when Stoyan Arnaudov of Gabrovo produced dried raw pork in his workshop for 2 090 groshes, a considerable sum at that time. 

‘Lukanka Panagyurska’ sausage is a pressed, raw-cured meat product prepared from fresh-cut beef (which may be replaced by fresh buffalo meat) and fresh pork, additives and natural seasoning, stuffed into a natural or artificial casing with a diameter (φ) of 50 mm, adhering tightly to the filling. If stuffed into an artificial casing, the ‘Lukanka Panagyurska’ is a straight sausage tied with twine or closed with clips at both end.

The name ‘Lukanka Panagyurska’ is derived from the city of Panagyurishte, where the product was first made. ‘Lukanka Panagyurska’ is a very popular sausage widely known under this name. For this reason it is produced all year round throughout Bulgaria under strict adherence to the traditional recipe and production methods, without its quality and characteristics being influenced by seasonal or geographical variations.

Fore more information click here and here.