Kittseer Marille

 
Record Number: 86
 
Disclosure Date
In 1924 first mention of large-scale cultivation of apricot trees in the chronicle of the municipality Kittsee. 
 

Photo: BMLFUW/A...

Title
Kittseer Marille
(Kittsee apricot)
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Traditional cultivation of apricots (Prunus armeniaca) of the local variety “Frühmarille aus Kittsee” (early apricot of Kittsee) and other varieties in the region Kittsee, Burgenland.
Apricots from Kittsee are characterized by an extraordinarily fruity flavour. This is directly related to numerous hours of sunshine and the mild and humid climate which is due to the influence of the steppe Lake Neusiedl.
 
Name of product, Product class
Stone fruits, fresh fruits, fruits
 
Name of region
Kittsee, Burgenland, Austria
 
Field of search
Food and Agriculture
 
Name of information provider
Verein Kittseer Marille (Association Kittsee apricot)
Mr. Franz Krich
 
Name of applicant for title
---
 
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
About 120 fruit growers (7 organic fruit growers) in the municipality Kittsee.
 
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---
 
Descriptors
- History:
The original homeland of the apricot is considered to be Asia. Later, the apricot was introduced intoArmenia via the Silk Road. As it had been cultivated there for such a long time, it was often regarded as native there. The scientific name Prunus armeniaca relates to Armenia. It is assumed that the apricot was brought to Greece by Alexander the Great and to Rome by the Roman General Lucullus (106 - 57 B.C.).
Charlemagne’s Capitulare de villis of 802 contains a list of all cultivated fruit varieties but does not mention apricots, as from the 3^rd  to the 16^th  century they were considered to be peaches. The Austrian term “Marille” for apricots probably refers to the Italian term “armellino” which is derived from the scientific term ”armeniaca” (=stemming from Armenia).
 
In 1924 the local chronicle of Kittsee mentions the large-scale cultivation of apricot trees for the first time (until 1921 Kittsee, like the rest of Burgenland, belonged to Hungary).
Legend has it that a farmer delivered cereals to a tree nursery whose owner was unable to pay cash and compensated the farmer with apricot trees. The trees developed particularly well under the mild climatic conditions and produced fruits of extraordinary flavour. The successful marketing motivated other farmers to plant apricot trees as well.
Until World War II the apricots harvested were sold to Germany for the production of apricot jam.
 
After World War II. apricots provided an important additional income for farmers, which triggered the planting of a great number of apricot trees. The fruits were marketed by a fruit and vegetable cooperation at Neusiedl am See and by other traders.
 
In the 1950ies the pomologists Karl Duhan, Josef Falch and Eduard Strauss selected the local variety “Kittseer Frühmarille” (Kittsee Early Apricot) from the variety ”Frühe Ungarische Gelbe” (Early Hungarian Yellow) and recommended the cultivation of this variety. Nowadays this variety is of limited economic importance in the region and there are no breeding measures to preserve it.
 
Marketing problems at the beginning of the 1960ies resulted in the setting up of a delivery station for apricots and a processing company. The company is still the most important partner of local apricot producers.
 
In 1999 the association ”Kittseer Marille” was established.
In 2004 the designation “Kittseer Marille” was registered as a word/picture trademark.
 
Presently about 30,000 apricot trees are cultivated on about 180 parcels of land covering 110 hectares.
 
- Region:
Kittsee is a municipality in North Burgenland, about 32 km northeast of the district municipality Neusiedl am See.
 
Kittsee is situated at the Slovak border opposite Bratislava, in the so-called ‘border triangle’ of Austria, Hungary and the Slovak Republic.
 
The municipality is located at an altitude of about 140 m above sea level.
 
Climatic and soil conditions:
The climate is pannonic and strongly influenced by the big steppe lake Lake Neusiedl. Its large body of water stores heat, mitigates temperature fluctuations in summer, protects from early frosts in autumn, and provides humidity.
Summers are dry and hot, winters short and poor in snow. Autumn is sunny with mild temperatures and lasts till late-October, sometimes to November.
 
The annual precipitation is low (about 450 - 550 mm per year).
The average annual temperature is about 9.7°C. About 1900 hours of sunshine annually provide ideal conditions for the flourishing of apricots.
 
Soils of the region are mainly light sandy and limy soils rich in humus.
 
Local soil conditions and the pannonic climate are perfectly suited for the cultivation of Kittsee apricots.
 
- Kittsee apricots:
The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a species of the genus Prunus, family Rosaceae.
Today mainly the variety “Ungarische Beste” (Hungarian Best) is cultivated at Kittsee. In addition, the varieties “Goldrich”, “Bergeron”, “Aurora”, and “Silvercot” are cultivated because of their good durability and transportability. The local variety ”Kittseer Frühmarille” (Kittsee Early Apricot) has lost in economic importance. This variety is well suited especially for gardens and direct marketing. The fruits are rather small but very aromatic. Therefore they are often used as fresh fruits, for apricot dumplings (LINK), for processing jams, or for distilling apricot spirits.
Generally, apricots from Kittsee are characterized by an extraordinarily fruity flavour which is directly related to the mild and humid climate and numerous sun hours due to the influence of steppe Lake Neusiedl.
 
Method of production:
Kittsee apricots are planted in orchards. Today plants are no longer grafted locally but bought from tree nurseries at Poysdorf and Lassee. About 500 - 1000 trees are planted annually, in 2009 even about 3000 - 5000.
The stems of apricot trees are usually 150 - 180 cm tall, in the case of spindle trees only 50 - 80 cm. In recent years the use of spindle trees has increased.
 
Irrigation:
In June and August apricot trees, especially young ones, are irrigated with ground water from wells.
 
Fertilization:
Soils are fertilized on the basis of soil analyses. Nitrogen is applied in spring and potassium and phosphorus in autumn.
 
Plant Protection:
Plant protection measures are applied, if justified.
 
Harvest:
Depending on the apricot variety the fruits are harvested from the beginning to the end of July. The apricots are picked by hand daily. As storage is hardly possible, most of the apricots are sold immediately.
 
The annual yield of Kittsee apricots amounts to about 300-500 tonnes; about 15 tonnes thereof are produced in line with the organic scheme.
 
Quality and controls:
About 10 % of Kittsee apricots are produced according to the guidelines of integrated production and an even smaller percentage under the organic scheme.
Apricots which are produced under the organic scheme according to EU Regulation 834/2007 are controlled by accredited control bodies.
 
- Marketing:
The bigger part of apricots (about 40 %) is sold as fresh fruits. About 30 % of the apricots are processed by a company in East Tyrol after the stones have been removed at Kittsee already.
Roughly 30 % are marketed on-farm or distilled by regional distilleries. Minor amounts are processed to apricot dumplings, apricot cakes and apricot strudel by the regional gastronomy and bakeries.
 
Connection with the geographical area and Traditional Knowledge
- Light sandy and limy soils rich in humus and the pannonic
  climate provide ideal conditions for the cultivation
  of apricots.
- Due to the cultivation method and the specific
  geographic situation apricots with specific characteristics
  in terms of taste can be produced.
- The unique taste and aroma are directly related to the pannonic climate
  with its numerous hours of sunshine which is influenced by the steppe lake
  Lake Neusiedl.
- “Kittseer Frühmarille” (Kittsee Early Apricot) is a variety selected locally.
- The production of Kittsee apricots is the result of Traditional Knowledge
  passed on from those active in this field: Traditional knowledge and
  experience of fruit growers (adaptation of the cultivation method to the
  environmental conditions, selection of cultivars, harvesting know-how)
  and the expertise of wholesale buyers and retail sellers in marketing, and
  of the processors of apricots.
 
- Utilization:

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

Kittsee apricots are well suited as table fruits and for the production of jams, apricot spirits, liqueur, juice and vinegar.
Traditional dishes are apricot dumplings (LINK), Apricot cake, apricot strudel and stewed apricots.
 
- Protection:
Word/picture trademark  “Die Kittseer Marille…gereift unter der Sonne Pannoniens“ / “Kittsee apricot... matured under the pannonic sun” (Austrian Patent Office Register No 220 535, 7 October 2004)
 
Key Words
Food and Agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Burgenland, region, Kittsee, apricots, Kittseer apricots
 
Bibliography / References
- KEPPEL-PIEBER-WEISS-HIEBLER: Obstbau (Anbau und Verarbeitung),
  2^nd  edition, Leopold Stocker Verlag 1998 p. 139: Österreichische Sorten
- STRAUSS E., NOVAK R. Obstbau-Praxis. Anlage-Pflege-Ernte-Lagerung-Sorten.
  Österreichischer Agrarverlag, Klosterneuburg 1998. pp. 288ff.
- AMT DER BURGENLÄNDISCHEN LANDESREGIERUNG.Abt.5 - Anlagenrecht,
  Umweltschutz und Verkehr, Hauptreferat III - Natur und Umweltschutz.
  Jahresbericht 2004- der an den Luftgütemessstellen des Burgenländischen
  Luftgütemessnetzes gemessenen Immissionsdaten.
- Apricot
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricots
- Aprikose:
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aprikose
- FRÜHMARILLE AUS KITTSEE
  http://www.arche-noah.at/etomite/assets/downloads/Bibliothek/Obstsortenblaetter/Marille/Fruehmarille_aus_Kittsee_Beschreibung.pdf
- Kittsee
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittsee
- Kittsee, die Marillengemeinde in Neusiedl am See
  http://www.burgenland-online.at/?topic=neusiedl&id=gemeinden/kittsee
- Kittseer Marille
  http://www.genuss-region.at/article/archive/19840
- Kittseer Marille - genießen Sie die herrlichen, sonnengereiften Kittseer Qualitätsmarillen
  http://www.buero44.com/hosting/kittseer-marille.at/Unsere-Marille.8.0.html
- Marille
  http://www.obst-gemuese.at/product/pages/marille
- Marille- Frühmarille aus Kittsee
  http://www.pflanzen-im-web.de/pflanzen/pflanzen-suche/Obstgehoelze/Marille-Fruehmarille-aus-Kittsee-Prunus-armeniaceae.php
- Marille orangered
  http://forum.garten-pur.de/Obst-Forum-25/Marille-orangered-1827_A.htm
- Marillen
  http://www.artner.biobaumschule.at/index.php?id=70
- Saftige Marillen aus Pannonien
  238879&cat=853"
- Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92. Application for registration Art. 17,
  PDO (national file no 1233-GR/95)
  http://www.kittsee.at/portrait.htm
 
All internet references last accessed on 8 September 2009.
 
Language Code
German
 
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
 
Regional contact
Verein Kittseer Marille (Association Kittsee apricot)
Mr. Franz Krich
Untere Hauptstraße 77
2421 Kittsee
Phone: 0043 2143/3148 or 0043 688/81 49 925
E-mail: krich@aon.at
 
Authors: Mag. Eva Sommer, Mag. Doris Reinthaler, Dr. Erhard Höbaus
 

11.11.2011, Lebensministerium III/4