Description
Karp Zatorski PDO is a hybrid carp obtained from cross-breeding the pure "karp zatorski" breed with the following pure breeds: Hungarian, Yugoslav, Golysz and Israeli (Dor-70).
Production Area
Karp Zatorski PDO is produced in the municipalities of Zator and Przeciszów, in Oswiecimski County, and Spytkowice, in Wadowicki County, which are situated in the western part of Malopolskie Province.
Production Method
The carp are raised in winter carp ponds, in accordance with the "Zator" rearing method, which is based on a two-year rearing cycle. The production cycle comprises five stages. The first one is "spawning", during which the best specimens are selected and placed in natural spawning pools; then "rearing of fry" occurs and the hatchlings, summer fry, are removed from the spawning pools into ponds maintained in a highly cultivated state. There are 200,000 hatchlings per hectare and they remain in the pond until they reach a weight of 2-4g; during the "rearing and overwintering of autumn fry" stage, the summer fry are placed in nursery ponds in July. As well as the food that is naturally available in the ponds, the carp are also fed three times a week with ground wheat, barley, triticale and maize. The carp must reach a weight of between 60-150g by the end September and they are left in the nursery ponds to "overwinter"; for the "stocking of commercial ponds", the carp are transferred into commercial ponds in Spring, where they are fed in accordance with a predetermined feeding schedule from May to September, the most intense periods being June, July and August. In October the carp are transferred by special transport tanks, sorted according to size, weighed and transported to fish storage facilities that are 1,7-2,0 metres deep, without vegetation, but with a good water flow and oxygenation. This treatment ensures that the fish does not smell of mud; the final stage is "removal of the carp from the storage facilities", which takes place in December, during the pre-Christmas period.
Appearance and Flavour
Karp Zatorski PDO carp have a compact shape and can reach a bodyweight of between 1,100-1,800 g. They are olive or olivey blue in colour, with mirror scales arranged in a dart, stripe or saddle. The meat has a fresh fish smell and a delicate taste.
History
Carp-farming in Zator, southern Poland, dates back to the late XI and early XII centuries, and this sector has continued to evolve ever since due to the dense network of waterways (the rivers Sola and Skawa and the upper Vistula), the right soil conditions for growing the cereals used to feed the carp, a temperate climate and the possibility of transporting fish by river to Kraków and surrounding areas. Fish-farming developed considerably after the end of World War I, when new technologies were introduced and the trade in fish by small traders was regulated. In 1946, the Zootechnical Institute at Jagiellonian University was set up, and research to improve the carp through cross-breeding began. This resulted in the gradual introduction of the "Zator" rearing method. In Poland, Karp Zatorski PDO is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve as it supposedly brings luck. Tradition holds that this fish graced the kings' tables and was widely known as "Royal Carp".
Gastronomy
Karp Zatorski PDO is bought live and before cooking should be kept alive in a bucket of water. Once cooked it should be eaten immediately. It is delicious fried slowly with melted butter, oil and crushed garlic or oven-baked with a sour cream sauce.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Karp Zatorski PDO. The carp are kept in special oxygenated tanks that bear clearly visible labels that read Karp Zatorski PDO and are sold live in plastic bags with water.
Distinctive Features
Karp Zatorski PDO is distinguished from carp produced in other geographical areas by its excellent, delicate taste, organoleptic properties and lower fat content, characteristics that are thanks to the short two-year breeding period.
