The “Taste of the North” : a brand to promote the mountain territories of Northern Albania
The creation and promotion of the brand of geographic origin “Shija e Veriut” (taste of the north), is part of the actions provided by the project “Alliance for the Development and Enhancement of the Domestic Farming in the North of Albania”, funded by the “Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation” and carried out by both Italian and Albanian organizations and institutions, including “RTM – Volontari nel Mondo”, COSPE and the Italian Region Emilia-Romagna.
The principal purpose of this brand is to promote, support and publicize, abroad the municipalities of Vau Dejes, Puka and Fushe Arrez, located in the Northern part of Albania and involved within the project, the local productions of sheep and goat’s cheese denominated “Djathe e Bardhe” and “Kackavalle”, exalting their typical characteristics and organoleptic properties. The modalities of production of these cheese, strictly connected to the rural and bucolic traditions, is handed down from generation to generation and, still today, the small and familiy run farming enterprises working in the area follow, precisely, the precepts of tradition, utilizing the resources of the virgin pastures present in the high mountain.
Moreover, aspired and predetermined aim of this brand is to encourage a broader promotion of the Northern Albania, facilitating synergies and partnerships between farmers, producers, restaurant owners and workers within the sector of tourism, with the final goal to develop a real and proper system capable to enhance and exalt the local enogastronomic productions of any kinds.
In order to ensure an efficient process of creation and promotion of the above-mentioned brand, the partners of the project have benefited from skills, tecnica expertise and consultations offered by the Italian region Emilia Romagna, whose joint partecipation proved to be fundamental for the realization of a procedure guideline document able to determine the rules and the minimum standards to apply for the affiliation of the products within the geographic brand.
Strengthened by this preparatory process, the geographic brand of local production “Shija e Veriut” is already present since the month of August during the promotional events holded within the three municipalities involved in the project. To prove that, the 5th October, the brand was present during the fair called “Agro Fest” held, annually, in the city of Puka.