Vitela de Lafões (Lafões veal)
IGP Vitela de Lafões are the packaged and refrigerated carcasses or pieces (male or female, slaughtered up to 7 months of age) of veal from Portugal.
Geographical area: Restricted to the subdistricts of Oliveira de Frades, Vouzela, São Pedro do Sul and to the parishes of Cedrim and Couto de Esteves in the subdistrict of Sever do Vouga, to the parishes of Botiosa and Ribafeita in the subdistrict of Viseu and to the parishes of Alva and Gafanhão in the subdistrict of Castro Daire.
Evidence: Established through use, particularly due to references made by Silvestre Bernardo de Lima, in 1858, to the "...famous veal...of Lafões".
Method of production: From animals of the Arouquesa breed, the Mirandesa breed or the results of their cross-breeding. The animals are raised in barns and feed on mothers' milk. Their feed can be supplemented with hay, seasonal vegetation or cornflour concentrates produced on the same farm. The calves are slaughtered at between five and seven months old. The carcasses are hung for about five days.
Link: The edaphological-climatic conditions of the region provide natural pastures which give the meat a characteristic taste.
Gastronomy: IGP Vitela de Lafões must be kept at a low temperature which should not exceed 2°C. It is never frozen. IGP Vitela de Lafões is used abundantly in the local traditional cooking, such as in the dish vitela assada em forno de lenha (roast in a wood oven) or in vitela assada à moda de Lafões (spit roasted veal, covered in sea salt and a white wine sauce, eaten with boiled or fried potatoes and slices of raw onion).
Reference: The European Commission