Facts: Smoked whitefish
Vättersik is a salmon fish that gets a special character from the nutrient-poor Vättern, which is a cold water lake. The fish is then smoked in a smoking oven fired with alder wood. In this way, the fish gets a deep saltiness, a distinct smoky flavor and a sweet-sour note of tar.
Source: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
The protection means that whitefish that are caught and prepared – in a special way – within ten kilometers of the shore of the lake can be marked with a red-yellow designation of origin.
“Smoked whitefish has a long tradition in the area around Lake Vättern and is even today an important product for commercial fishing and the smokehouses around the lake. Labeling the product helps to highlight the proud tradition that exists here,” says Elin Gunve, commercial fishing coordinator at the Swedish Agency for Agriculture , in the press release.
The label of origin comes after the Vättern Fishermen’s Association applied to protect the product.
“A label can be important for tourism as many Europeans are well aware of EU designations. An origin label on smoked whitefish can hopefully contribute to a vibrant countryside, business development and long-term sustainable fishing,” says Malena Bathurst, business developer at the Swedish Agency for Agriculture, in the press release .