Description
Cozza di Scardovari PDO is an elongated bivalve mollusc with a black-purple shell, belonging to the Mytilus galloprovincialis species.
Production Area
The production area of Cozza di Scardovari PDO is identified with Scardovari Bay and areas in the districts of Scardovari, Ca’ Mello and Santa Giulia in the Municipality of Porto Tolle, in the Province of Rovigo, in the Veneto region.
Production Method
Water from Scardovari Bay is used for the purification, processing and packaging stages of the Cozza Scardovari PDO, which must be carried in the immediate surrounding area. The term “bay” identifies an inlet with a surface area of 3200 hectares and an average depth of 1.5 to 2 metres, communicating with the open sea by means of a “lagoon mouth”. The mussel seed can only be planted and grown in nurseries which are in Scardovari Bay. Each fisherman arranges the “socks”, or plastic mesh tubes, in such a way that there is a density of 10-15 units per square metre. The seed is harvested by scraping the submerged surfaces of the socks, gathering from natural beds, or by capturing the seed that has fixed itself to ropes or special collectors positioned on the sea farms that overlook the Po Delta. The harvest is carried out manually when the product reaches the minimum marketable size of 5 cm. The harvested product must be delivered to the landing point in such a way that it is possible to control the quality, and from there it is transported to the Scardovari purification plants in isothermal containers. At the end of the purification treatment, the product is packaged in a plastic mesh bag, placed in a cell with a temperature of 6 °C and dispatched immediately on the same day, or at the latest the next day, depending on the orders.
Appearance and Flavour
Cozza di Scardovari PDO has convex valves, about 6-8 cm long; it is triangular and has thin concentric striations. The lining of the shell is pearly-purple, but may vary depending on the production cycle. The shell has strong tufts of hair-like filaments, with which the mollusc attaches itself to nets or other supports. There is a high percentage of meat, more than 25% of the total weight; it has a pleasant and delicate taste due to the low sodium content.
History
The first local fishermen’s Cooperative in Scardovari Bay was established in 1936, and over the last century the area has undergone an extremely rapid transformation, which after the flood of 1966 led to the current configuration of the Bay. Since then, thanks to the skill of the workers, experimentations in mussel farming began in small nurseries in the Bay, as an alternative to sea fishing. The mussel’s reputation is documented by photos of the historic Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, organized by the Scardovari fishermen since 1947.
Gastronomy
Cozza di Scardovari PDO can be kept for up to five days in the refrigerator. It should ideally be eaten after cooking. Cozza Scardovari PDO can be also be eaten raw, but it is mostly baked au gratin, or used as a flavoursome ingredient in fish soups and hot and cold seafood salads.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Cozza di Scardovari PDO. The mussels are sold alive in closed 1 kg and 5 kg mesh bags, of various colours, vacuum bags or modified atmosphere packaging.
Distinctive Features
The qualitative, physical and organoleptic properties of Cozza Scardovari PDO are the result of the environmental characteristics of the Bay from which it takes its name, in particular the low salinity of the water, which gives the mussel its sweetness, succulence, softness and low sodium content. Furthermore, the combination of the microclimate and nutrients given to Adriatic Sea converging with the River Po, gives the mussel an exceptional weight, more than 25% of the total.
