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PGI — Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
A year after the grain, it was the milling itself that received its own geographical indication — a milling craft recognised in its own right.
Cereal from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, PGI (IGP) since 2010.
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Petit épeautre (Triticum monococcum), one of the first cereals domesticated by humans, has been cultivated in Haute Provence for millennia. Milling it into flour goes back several centuries: the earliest documented recipes using petit épeautre flour date from the 14th and 16th centuries, such as ‘la Formantée’, mentioned around 1375, or ‘Grueu’ in the 16th century — two preparations in which the milled cereal was mainly eaten as gruel or in soups.
In 1997, a group of producers came together within the Syndicat Interdépartemental des Producteurs de Petit Épeautre de Haute Provence, recognised as an Organisme de Défense et de Gestion in 2007. This formal organisation led first, in 2009, to the grain's PGI (file IG/02/04). The Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité notes this on the official fact sheet for the grain: once milled, it ‘is subject to another PGI: Farine de Petit Epeautre de Haute Provence’.
This second recognition had its own file, IG/03/04: the flour's specification was approved on 22 December 2008 (Journal officiel of 13 January 2009), then registered at European level by Regulation (EU) No 250/2010 of 24 March 2010 — a year after the grain. Two distinct PGIs, managed by the same Syndicat, across the same area of four departments (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Drôme, Vaucluse).
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Today, only millers approved by the Syndicat du Petit Épeautre de Haute Provence may produce the flour under the PGI. The specification distinguishes between two practices: traditional milling on stone millstones, reserved for producers processing their own harvest directly on their farm, and conventional commercial milling, which may be carried out outside the geographical area.
Historically reserved for soups, breads and crêpes since the 17th century, petit épeautre flour is now also used in pasta and pastries.
Appearance
Flour obtained solely by milling the dehulled grain, without the addition of additives or wetting.
Aroma
A loaf made solely with this flour gives off a characteristic aroma of gingerbread.
Taste
Aromas of walnut and caramel, which linger throughout the tasting.
the petit épeautre grain must have been dehulled less than 6 months prior to milling.
the flour must be consumed within 9 months of milling to preserve all its nutritional qualities.
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Used since the 17th century in soups, breads and crêpes, petit épeautre flour is also well suited today to fresh pasta and pastries. A loaf made solely with this flour is recognisable by its golden crumb and its aromas of gingerbread, walnut and caramel that linger on the palate — ideal for pairing with full-flavoured cheeses or autumn fruit jam.
Since: 2010
Area covered: 235 communes réparties sur 4 départements (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Drôme, Vaucluse) — la même aire géographique que l'IGP du grain.
Key requirements: Flour obtained solely by milling petit épeautre grain dehulled less than 6 months prior, without the addition of additives or wetting. Traditional milling on stone millstones is reserved for producers processing their own harvest on their farm; conventional commercial milling may be carried out outside the geographical area. Flour to be consumed within 9 months of milling to preserve its nutritional qualities.
A distinct PGI from that of the grain (IG/02/04, obtained in 2009): its own file IG/03/04, specific milling specification approved on 22 December 2008 (JORF of 13 January 2009) and registered at European level by Regulation (EU) No 250/2010 of 24 March 2010. The grain and flour are managed by the same Syndicat du Petit Épeautre de Haute Provence.
Trade association
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In 1997, a group of Haute Provence producers came together within the Syndicat Interdépartemental des Producteurs de Petit Épeautre de Haute Provence to consider how to gain recognition for their grain. In 2007, the trade association was approved as an Organisme de Défense et de Gestion (ODG), a milestone that led to obtaining PGI (IGP) status for the grain in 2009, followed by that for the flour in 2010.
Based in Mévouillon, in the Drôme, the trade association draws up and maintains the specifications for the two PGIs — for the Petit Épeautre grain and for its flour — and approves the millers authorised to produce flour under the PGI mark. It also coordinates the sector: a map of producers, promotion through recipes and points of sale, and initiatives to promote the Haute Provence terroir, spanning the départements of Drôme, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes and Vaucluse.
| Address | 7 Chemin d'Aumage, 26560 Mévouillon, France |
| 04 75 28 51 86 | |
| petit.epeautre@orange.fr | |
| petitepeautre.com | |
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All production is certified organic, since 2011. |
