France grants two new food AOCs
The prestigious French “Appellation d’origine contrôlée” label applies to food products as well as wine. On June 22nd, 2006, the national AOC institute (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine) recognized two new food products: the Nîmes olive and Corsican chestnut flour.
Two hundred Corsican farmers grow chestnuts for the sweet, delicate flour that Corsican cooks use for dishes such as “a pulenda,” a bread, or “I nicci“, the Corsican version of crepes.
The dark green Nîmes olive is cultivated in the Gard and Hérault department in Southeast France. Nîmes olive oil was granted its AOC status in 2004.
An AOC label requires several years of writing documents, attending meetings, and “defending” the quality of the product. That’s why French regions and communities take great pride in their AOCs.
