Description
Puruveden Muikku PGI refers to vendace (Coregonus albula) caught in the Puruvesi lake basin situated in the north-eastern part of Lake Saimaa. The designation is used only for fresh and frozen vendace.
Production Area
The geographical area consists of Puruvesi lake, which is located in the area of the municipalities of Kerimäki, Punkaharju and Kesälahti in the Province of Eastern Finland (ItäSuomi). Puruvesi has a surface area of 416 km² and forms part of Lake Saimaa, Europe’s fourth largest lake.
Appearance and Flavour
Puruveden Muikku PGI is noticeably more silver in colour compared to other vendace. It has a deep dark green back, and its sides are silver. Its considerable annual variation in size marks it out from other vendace. After one growth season, its average length can vary from 9 cm to 21 cm. Similarly, its weight can vary between a few grams and up to approximately 20 grams. Due to the softness of its backbone, Puruveden Muikku PGI can be eaten without the bones being removed.
Gastronomy
Puruveden Muikku PGI is known throughout Finland for the softness of its bones. This makes it suitable for eating without deboning, whether fried, smoked or in soup. It is also renowned for its silvery colour.
Distinctive Features
Puruveden Muikku PGI is characterised by its considerable variation in size, which is wholly dependent on the density of vendace stocks and the levels of animal plankton production. This annual variation in the volume of vendace stocks is very distinctive to Puruvesi lake. The reputation of Puruveden Muikku PGI is based also on the traditional fishing methods used and the professional skills of fishermen in the area which have been handed down fir centuries from one generation to another.
