This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’

EU No: PDO-GR-02827 – 19.1.2022

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Greece

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.4. Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ is a flower honey, the autumn heather honey produced in the Karistia region by bees that collect nectar from the purple heather (Εrica manipuliflora and Erica verticillata) that grows there. It is presented in either runny or crystallised form.

‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ has the following characteristics:

—	Moisture content ≤ 19 %

—	Diastase activity (Schade scale) ≥ 9

—	Electrical conductivity ≤ 0,8 mS/cm

—	Free acidity ≤ 40 meq/kg

—	HMF content ≤ 30 mg/kg

—	Sucrose content ≤ 0,2 %

—	Glucose and fructose content ≥ 70 %. The sum of the two sugars may in certain cases exceed 90 %.

Organoleptic characteristics

The taste is slightly bitter, the colour dark with red-copper tones and the smell is strong and persistent.

It remains runny for a short time, from 1 to 3 months. Then it crystallises (because of the high glucose content) and the crystals that form are relatively large and can be felt in the mouth when the honey is eaten.

Pollen characteristics

The main type of pollen found in ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ is heather pollen (Εrica manipuliflora and Erica verticillata). Heather pollen accounts for over 65 % of the total pollen from nectariferous plants in ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’.

The remaining pollen comes from locally growing wild herbaceous plants and subshrubs but there is no pollen from crop species, as there is very little farming activity in the area.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

After ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ has been harvested, the beekeepers leave enough honey in the hives for the bees to eat during winter so that there is no need for artificial feeding.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All the steps in production take place in the defined geographical area. Once the thyme honey has been harvested the hives are moved to the high areas of Mount Ochi (above 600 metres). At that altitude and provided there is summer rain, the flowering of the heather begins. From then on until December the beekeepers gradually move their hives from the high altitude areas down to the lowlands (as far as sea level) following the heather as it comes into bloom. This ends at the beginning of December close to sea level. Thus they make the most of the gradual flowering of the heather and harvest their hives at intervals.

The honey is extracted in facilities located within the defined area that are suitably equipped for honey production (harvesting, centrifugation, grading, storage in tanks).

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

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3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Protection for the name ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ is requested for the whole of the municipality of Karistos (as defined under the Kallikratis plan), comprising the municipal units of Karistos, Kafireas, Marmari and Styra, in the regional unit of Evia. This area extends down to the southern tip of the island of Evia and borders the south Evian gulf to the west and the Aegean sea to the east.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The specific qualities of ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ are due essentially to natural and human factors in the geographical environment where it is produced.

The defined geographical area is at the southernmost tip of Evia and covers around 670 km2. It is a unique, isolated area with a diversity of landscapes and microclimates. A large part of the defined area (around 30 000 ha) is on the list of Greek sites forming part of the Natura 2000 European Ecological Network and is an SPA (Special Protection Area) and an SAC (Special Area of Conservation).

The area is dominated by Mount Ochi, the highest peaks being Profitis Ilias (1 398 m) and Giouda (1 386 m). From these peaks ridges with rocky protrusions and formations extend: a) northeast and east down to the Aegean Sea, with steep slopes and b) south and southeast, with smoother terrain, down to the south Evian gulf.

The presence of Mount Ochi helps to create a distinct climate which is different from the climate that prevails on the rest of the island. In particular, the area’s varied terrain resulting from the presence of Mount Ochi determines major differences in the microclimate and vegetation. The lowlands have a very different climate from the mountain areas. More specifically, rainfall levels correlate directly with the lie of the land and with the winds that blow from the northeast Aegean. This means that there is more rain on the northeastern side than on the southwestern side and more rain at higher altitudes than in the lowlands. As a result, the northeastern side is more wooded than the southwestern side.

The area’s vegetation consists of Mediterranean shrubs and trees and many common Greek plants, as well as species that are endemic to Evia or to Karistia. The most extensive habitat type, as listed in Directive 92/43, is ‘Sarcopoterium spinosum phryganas’ (code 5420). This covers around 30 % of the defined area and heather (Erica manipuliflora and Erica verticillata) is one of the types of phrygana found there.

Flowering of the autumn heather begins at the higher altitudes (≈ 1 000 metres) and ends in areas that are at sea level. Clumps of heather can be found growing in different types of soil, including poor soil, which shows how valuable they are in areas that have been periodically damaged by fire or overgrazing.

The heather growing at the higher altitudes comes into bloom with the first rains that fall after midsummer. Flowering continues during the autumn months after the first rains further down in the lowlands.

In this natural environment the region’s beekeepers carry out their work, perpetuating an age-old tradition. Modern beekeeping began in 1910 with Dimitrios Rigas and the Karistos Beekeepers Association is named after him.

Honey production is usually small scale to bring in extra income and the local beekeeping practices include the following:

—	The beehives are usually made of wood.

—	The beehives are moved from the high altitude areas to the lowlands to make the most of the gradual flowering of the heather so as to exploit the area’s beekeeping potential to the full.

—	No artificial feed is given to the bees during the honey production period.

—	Some of the last honey the bees produce is left unharvested for the colony to feed on during the winter, so there will be strong bee populations in the spring.

—	Smokers are used with great care and pine needles are used as fuel. They give off a cool, mild smoke that does not alter the characteristics of the honey in any way.

—	The honeycomb is removed using combs, knives or brushes.

—	The honey is extracted from the frames by centrifuging without heating or decanting, and pressure is never applied.

—	During processing the temperature of the honey does not exceed 40 °C at any time.

—	The swarms used are produced locally and are adapted to the region.

The specificity of ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ resides in:

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The mixture of pollen grains, where Εrica manipuliflora pollen predominates (usually accounting for between 65 % and 90 % of total pollen) and is supplemented by pollen from wild plants, and which contains no pollen from crop species. This particular pollen mixture is due to the natural environment and local beekeeping practices. In particular, the high percentage of heather pollen is the result of the abundance of heather in the defined area. Because of the distinct geomorphological and climatic conditions, this flowers successively at different altitudes alongside many other wild plants. The beekeepers make the most of this by moving their hives (all the way down the slopes of Mount Ochi from the high areas to the lowest) following the heather as it comes into bloom. This ensures that there is a high percentage of heather pollen in the honey and that the pollen mixture is enriched by pollen from numerous wild species of the Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Ephedraceae and Asteraceae families that are found on land where there are trees or shrubs and in rocky or stony areas. Moreover, given the area’s distinct geomorphology and the particularly poor soil, very little land is planted with crops so there is no pollen from crop species in the pollen mixture. The pollen mixture in ‘Meli Kissouri / Meli Kissouri’, which forms as a result of the above factors, influences its organoleptic characteristics. More specifically, its characteristic colour (dark with red-copper tones) is due to the fact that the pollen is collected by bees in the autumn rather than in spring. It is well known that pollen grains are darker in autumn and lighter in spring. In addition, its intense aroma and taste are attributed to the high percentage of heather pollen, which contains a large number of volatile compounds.

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The extremely low sucrose content. The upper limit for sucrose content is not more than 0,2 % and according to the literature this is lower than for any other Greek heather honey. This low sucrose content bears testimony to the human factor and more specifically the local beekeeping practices. One of the golden rules is to not give the bees artificial feed during the ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ production period, as all their dietary needs are met by the abundance of heather in bloom. In winter the bees feed on the last heather honey they made during that period, some of which is left in the hives.

‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’ also testifies to the knowledge and experience built up over the last 100 years by the local beekeepers, who have learned to recognise the special conditions which prevail in this defined geographical area and which vary according to the time of year and the position of the hives, thus ensuring that pollen is collected from a variety of flowers, with heather being the predominant one.

The specificity of ‘Μέλι Κισσούρι / Meli Kissouri’, its considerable renown and the accolades it has received are due to all the above factors. It has been marketed under this name for over 30 years and has been frequently mentioned in a variety of different publications.

Reference to publication of the specification

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/2021/meli_kissouri_pdo170523.pdf

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.