According to press reports, the European Commission this week granted Black Forest Gateau, also known as Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, protected status. The cake, which comes from Germany’s Baden-Württenberg region, takes its name from the “kirsch” from the cherries grown in the Black Forest. The reports suggested that the European Commission had ruled that any dessert that wants to be called a “Black Forest Gateau” had to stay true to the original ingredients and must include this kirsch which is made from the sour cherries grown only in the Black Forest region.
Since reporting the decision, we have been informed that the press reports were untrue. There has been no such decision, or even an application to protect the recipe of Black Forest Gateau. More…