Birmingham Balti seeks EU protected status

18-Jun-2012 - Last updated on 19-Jun-2012 at 10:48 GMT

Related tags Birmingham Indian cuisine United kingdom

Could the Birmingham Balti share the same EU protected status as Stilton Blue?

The Birmingham Balti Association has applied for EU protected status for the city’s Balti curries.

The association wants to the curries to receive the status of a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed product (TSG). If granted, it would mean that only curries conforming to a precise specification can use the name Birmingham Balti.

TSG status could give curries produced in the so-called Balti Triangle a big marketing advantage. The area – south of Birmingham’s city centre – includes one of the nation’s highest concentrations of Balti curry houses. The city is said to be the birthplace of the Balti.

Birthplace of the Balti

The application for protected status includes a 12-week consultation, which ends in September. Interested parties will be able to comment on the application. If no one objects, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will decide whether to submit the application to the European Commission.

If successful, Birmingham Baltis will join Stilton Blue cheese and 47 other UK food products, which enjoy EU protected status.

To read about Bakkavör’s spicy Indian meal partnership with Tesco, click here.