Vadehavsstude (Wadden Sea beef)
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Description:
BGB Vadehavsstude is fresh meat from young cattle reared in the defined geographical area. The animals are of the Danish Black and White breed, also known as Danish Holstein, or a cross between the Danish Holstein and the Belgian Blue. ‘Vadehavsstude’ is exclusively from castrated males, which must have been born in the specified geographical area.
Fresh meat: Whole carcases, half carcases, quarters and cuts Slaughter weight: 200-380 kg
Age at slaughter: Minimum 18 — less than 30 months
Feed: In winter at least 50 % of the animals’ feed must be produced in the defined area. In the winter months the feed consists of grass and maize silage. The animals must graze in the salt meadows of the specified geographical area for at least 4½ months per year.
Concise definition of the geographical area:
The geographical area is the Wadden Sea region of south-west Denmark. The Wadden Sea region comprises the three islands of Romø, Mandø and Fanø, as well as the mainland, where the Danish Wadden Sea region is delimited in the south by the German border. The boundary to the north is identical to the northern boundary of the Wadden Sea National Park. The area is delimited to the east by the A11 motorway.
Specificity of the geographical area:
Ribe was founded in around 710 as a trading post, and archaeological digs have revealed the goods sold there. One of the products found on the market at an early stage was cattle. The cattle were from the villages in the salt meadows along the Wadden Sea, meaning the local farmers were rearing cattle as early as the Iron Age. Cattle continued to be sold in Ribe throughout the Middle Ages, and the cattle from the Wadden Sea region were for many centuries the most important export from the trading post of Ribe. The production of ‘Vadehavsstude’ (Wadden Sea beef) builds on this time-honoured tradition of rearing cattle in the salt meadows. Life for farmers in the region was often hard. Each year the area was hit by storm floods which flooded the farmland. The sea left behind fertile silt, thereby creating lush meadows in the salt lands where the animals grazed in the summer, and where winter fodder could be gathered.
In the article Jordbundsundersøgelser i marsken (Agricultural studies in the salt meadows) from the Tidsskrift for planteavl (Journal of crop production) of 1968, Lorens Hansen looks at soil samples taken only from the salt meadows. The article states that the soil of the salt meadows is naturally very rich in potassium, which corresponds to the high clay content and means of formation. In normal arable land the sodium content is seldom determined because it is very low, with no impact on the soil structure. A very high sodium content is often found in the soil of the salt meadows due to the sea salt deposited when the meadows were created. The hardy grasses that are well suited to the salt meadows are rich in nutrients and at the same time able to withstand various types of weather. In fact it is the harsh, salty impact of the Wadden Sea that makes the grazing in the area unique. When the land is flooded with seawater, salt and minerals are deposited in the soil. The following plants and grasses are found in particular on the foreland: — fine grass, small self-sown white clover, bird’s-foot trefoil, yellow rattle, buttercups and thrift flourish furthest in towards the dyke, — sea lavender, sea arrowgrass and some rough grass grow in the lower-lying area, — sea meadow grass and glasswort grow in the furthest/lowest part of the foreland.
Specificity of the product:
A blind-tasting test carried out with meat from cattle reared in the salt meadows showed that the meat was: — more tender, — more succulent, — saltier in taste, — of a better consistency, — more aromatic than meat from conventional cattle. Conventional meat only scored higher points than Wadden Sea meat for fatness and colour.
Causal link between the geographical area and a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product:
The harsh surroundings are very demanding of the farmers who rear cattle in the Wadden Sea region. An old description of the conditions reads: ‘One thing was special about the area: the large meadows where huge quantities of grass were produced for the hungry animals and hay was harvested for the winter. The grass in the salt meadows was particularly wholesome because it was flooded several times a year and therefore received extra natural salt and minerals from the seawater. A lot of calves were born in the farms inland and were then sent out to the salt meadows to be fattened up for sale on the markets in Husum or Hamburg. Often the large calves were weak or actually sick when they were taken out to the meadows, but a summer of lush meadow grass turned them into healthy, well nourished cattle.’. The beef produced in the Wadden Sea region has for centuries been known as a good, high-quality product, the meat having a distinctive salty taste due to the special conditions for growth in the area. When the area is flooded at high tide, salt and minerals are deposited in the soil. The animals graze on the salt meadows, where the high potassium and sodium content in the grass impacts on the taste of the meat and gives ‘Vadehavsstude’ its special quality and distinctive salty taste. ‘Vadehavsstude’ is sold as a special product from the Wadden Sea National Park, and the name is used both by local producers and meat distributors. The production of ‘Vadehavsstude’ is presented in tourist brochures on the Wadden Sea region and the Wadden Sea National Park as an important characteristic of the area.
Reference: The European Commission