Michael Gove watched on as East End smoked salmon was granted the same protected status as champagne and Gorgonzola cheese by the European Union.
The Environment Secretary was on hand to prepare and sample the famous London cure salmon, produced by H. Forman & Son, which now has the Brussels-enforced protected geographical indication (PGI) status.
Mr Gove said: “London cure smoked salmon has been cherished by food lovers in the capital for generations and the traditional skills used to produce it today are testament to the rich culinary heritage we have in this country.
“ It will now rightly sit alongside Cornish sardines, Conwy mussels and Whitstable oysters as examples of the world-class produce that uphold our reputation as a great food nation.”
Smoked salmon originated in Jewish communities in the East End of London at the turn of the 20th century, with Stratford-based H. Forman & Son operating continuously in East London since 1905.
It claims to be the sole remaining East End Jewish smokehouse.
Lance Forman, owner of H. Forman & Son, gave Mr Gove a tour of his fish factory on Thursday morning.
He said: “Mass manufacturing has upended the way salmon is made, and not in a good way. As the fourth-generation leader of a family business, we have seen traditional smokehouses in the East End of London dwindle from a multitude to almost none.
“Our business is not just to smoke salmon, but to act as keepers of an extraordinary tradition, with the mission and desire to educate the public on how this traditional food should be made.”
