View source for Vadehavslam (Wadden Sea lamb)


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|title=Vadehavslam (Wadden Sea lamb)
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|keywords=#lamb #sodium #fat #mutton #maize #barley 
|hashtagrev=12032020
|description=Beskyttet Geografisk BGB Vadehavslam ‘Vadehavslam’ is Danish lamb born and reared in the specified geographical area. The sheep are of the..
}}
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[[Image:{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Vadehavslam]]
'''[[Template:Beskyttet Geografisk Betegnelse|BGB]] Vadehavslam''' ‘Vadehavslam’ is Danish [[lamb]] born and reared in the specified geographical area.
The sheep are of the Texel breed or crosses of Texel with other breeds (other breeds: sometimes, when
a ewe has its first [[lamb]], the Texel breed is paired with rams of the Suffolk or Gotland pelt sheep
breeds) that have traditionally been used on the [[salt]] meadows.
The aim of breeding efforts over the years has been to produce a sheep which is not only suited to its
habitat, but which also produces large, meaty [[lamb]]s. This, together with the grass on which the [[lamb]]s
graze in the [[salt]] meadows, sets these [[lamb]]s apart from [[lamb]] produced in other parts of the country.

'''Quality requirements of [[lamb]]:'''

The time of slaughter (age of the [[lamb]] when slaughtered) depends on its weight, which must be
between 19 kg and 25 kg. In addition, the undertaking responsible for the slaughter must visually
identify the [[fat]] content in the slaughterhouse. (A notification was previously used for [[lamb]]s, similar to
the one used by Danish Crown for bovine animals. The notification is no longer used for [[lamb]]s, which
is why the undertaking responsible for slaughter has to visually identify the [[fat]] content in the
slaughterhouse).

'''Feed:'''

In winter at least 50 % of the animals’ feed must be produced in the defined area. In the winter months
the [[lamb]]s feed on grass, [[maize]], silage and, in the last part of the feeding period, on hay supplemented
with [[barley]].
The animals must graze in the [[salt]] meadows and the foreland of the specified geographical area for at
least 4.5 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. Some of the products found on the market at an early stage were [[mutton]] and [[lamb]]. The
sheep and [[lamb]]s were from the villages in the [[salt]] meadows along the Wadden Sea, meaning the local
farmers were rearing sheep and [[lamb]]s as early as the Iron Age.

The production of ‘Vadehavslam’ (Wadden Sea lamb) builds on this time-honoured tradition of rearing
sheep and [[lamb]]s in the [[salt]] meadows. 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]] marshes where the
animals grazed in the summer, and where winter fodder could be gathered.

In the article ''Jordbundsundersøgelser i marsken'' (Soil Surveys in the Salt Meadows) from the ''Tidsskrift
for planteavl'' (Plant Breeding Journal) 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 thrive in the [[salt]] meadows are rich and not particularly well suited to conventional
agriculture, but are almost ideal for grazing. The hardy grasses which thrive in the [[salt]] meadows
are rich in nutrients but also able to withstand different types of weather. In fact it is the harsh, salty
impact of the Wadden Sea that makes the grazing in the area unique. 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 dykes

— 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:'''

The [[lamb]]s are bred to be able to live in the harsh surroundings of the [[salt]] meadows and on the
foreland. Breeding has also resulted in larger, more meaty [[lamb]]s with a lean [[meat]] structure. ‘Vadehavslam’
has a distinctive salty taste.

'''Causal link between the geographical area and a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the
product:'''

The harsh surroundings and the special farming conditions are very demanding of the farmers that
produce [[lamb]] in the Wadden Sea region. Local farmers draw on their knowledge and experience to
produce strong, hardy [[lamb]]s in the conditions created by nature along the Wadden Sea.

The [[lamb]]s are large and meaty; their [[meat]] has a distinctive salty taste due to the special conditions for
growth in the area. When the land is flooded with seawater, [[salt]] and minerals are deposited in the soil.

The [[lamb]]s graze on the salty meadows, where the high potassium and [[sodium]] content in the grasses
affects the taste of the [[lamb]]’s meat, giving the ‘Vadehavslam’ its special quality and distinct salty taste.

‘Vadehavslam’ has for many years been a well-known product throughout Denmark and the production of ‘Vadehavslam’ is described in tourist brochures on the Wadden Sea region, the Wadden Sea National Park being an important characteristic of the area.

'''Reference:  [http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/registeredName.html?denominationId=1868 The European Commission]'''

{{CategoryLine}}
[[Category:Ingredients]]
[[Category:Meat]]
[[Category:PDO-PGI-TSG ingredients]]

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