Description
The Oie d'Anjou PGI is fresh meat from the female white goose of Rhine aged of at least 175 days.
Production Area
The production area of Oie d'Anjou PGI covers many departments in regions Pays de la Loire, Centre and Poitou-Charentes.
Production Method
The eggs for the production of Oie d'Anjou PGI have to be transported to incubator's stations which are not farther than 1 hour and 45 minutes from farms. The same maximum distance is valid for the transport of chicks after hatching. Only female goose are used which are grown for at least 175 days (in average 222 days). The animals are grown mostly in the open air (in average for 138 days), and the density of animals per square metres has to be low (for example, 1000 goose on at least 2.5 hectares of meadow). The fattening phase lasts at least eight weeks, during which the goose are fed with cereal grains produced in the same growing farm and with fodder by other local farms.
Appearance and Flavour
The carcass of Oie d'Anjou PGI is round and wide, with a well-developed breast and the fillets at the height of the breastbone. The skin is elastic and rather fat, yellow in colour. It is free from quills or pokes.
History
The gooses have been grown in the d'Anjou region since the 15th century. Indeed, the weather conditions of the area favoured the establishment of many pasture areas, rich in varied vegetables that over centuries have been used for the growth in the open air of above all cattle and poultry. The peculiarities of Oie d'Anjou PGI are closely linked to both the man and the environment: the dedication to the research of production techniques aimed at obtaining top quality meats has been passed on from generation to generation in order to keep the tradition unaltered even with a modern experience.
Gastronomy
Oie d'Anjou PGI has to be stored in refrigerator for a short time. It is generally roasted for the New Year's Eve feasts.
Marketing
The product is sold as Oie d'Anjou PGI. It is sold either in ready-to-cook carcasses, with a minimum weight of 2.5 kg, or partially eviscerated with a minimum weight of 2.8 kg.
Distinctive Features
Oie d'Anjou PGI has a good conformation and a very good level of fatting, which is recognisable by the compact fat knob under the wings and the subcutaneous fat layers of the breast and the abdomen which tends to become lower on the back until disappearing on the thighs.
