Delete, Protect, bureaucrat, administrator
4,588
edits
Changes
→The Culture
==The Culture==
One of the most unique aspects of lambic in Belgium is its attendant culture – both that in which it has grown up, and that which has grown up around it. Lambic is both a reflection of Belgian terroir and culture and a contributor to that same culture. Naturally, Belgian brewers and lawmakers have wanted to protect and preserve their indigenous product. Lambic has, like many other popular regional products throughout Europe, been regionally protected through law and decree. The first attempts to protect lambic dates back to 1930. In 1965, the Belgian government imposed restrictuions on the use of the names Lambic, Geuze, and Kriek requiring spontaneous fermentation and the use of specific raw materials. <ref name=TFP>Traditional Food Production and Rural Sustainable Development (Ashgate Economic Geography Series), Teresa de Noronha Vaz, 1998</ref> In 1997, a variety of five lambic related products were protected by being granted Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (“TSG”) status. Within Europe, this does protect the brewing style, however it does not tie the beer specifically to a region. There are also regular references to lambic having been protected by Royal Decree in 1965 Since 2004, brewers of Lambic can apply for a regional label indicating that it is regional and traditional. <supref name=streekproduct>[Citation Needed]www.streekproduct.be</supref>
From a cultural perspective, can lambic be replicated? Lambic represents hundreds of years of history. It represents a culture that identified the unique natural characteristics of a region and leveraged this terrior to produce a product unlike any other. It represents a completely unique localized brewing style where each step was developed specifically to capture and enhance the effects of the region. It represents hundreds of years of family history, breweries that have come and gone, and a culture where bars and restaurants would buy wort and create their own lambic. It represents the annual pilgrimage of beer geeks worldwide who journey to Belgium to experience lambic.