SARAJEVO, August 14 (FENA) – After completing the procedure to protect ‘Sarajevo’s ćevapi’ as a product with a geographical origin label, the mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić, announced the protection of ‘somun’, Sarajevo flatbread, which is inseparable from ćevapi.

Apart from ‘somun’, there are other products on the list, and Karić said at the press conference that the goal is to protect as many original products as possible.

“We want to protect what is ours with pride – the mayor pointed out and reminded that the process of protecting the ćevap lasted two years.

She stated that there are many Sarajevo products that deserve respect, but that gastronomy is among the first because it attracts many guests and tourists.

Director of the USAID mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Courtney Chubb, said that Sarajevo’s ćevap is delicious, but that it is first and foremost a key segment of Sarajevo’s gastronomic and tourism offer.

“No trip to Sarajevo is complete without enjoying this local delicacy,” said Courtney.

She added that USAID is helping through tourism, one of its leading projects, for BiH producers to protect their products as cultural heritage.

She pointed out that the designation of geographical origin recognizes Sarajevo ćevap as a unique product that cannot be found anywhere in the world and protects local recipes, ingredients and the method of preparation.

The director of the Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Džemil Hajrić, pointed out that the protection process lasted two years, and that ćevap is the eighth product that has passed the procedure.

He also said that the label, especially when it is applied to the EU area, will prevent misuse and help Sarajevo ćevapi makers to produce and export more of their unique products.

A ćevapi tasting will be organized tonight in Baščaršija for the citizens and guests of Sarajevo, and members of the Association of Sarajevo Ćevapi Makers will participate in this event.