Q. Why is Nosovicky Zeli like Parmesan cheese and Prosciutto di Parma?

Tough one, what?

A. Nosovicky Zeli (sauerkraut) from the region that first produced it the Czech Republic has just been granted a wine-style appellation d'origine.

Of all the world's media only The Financial Times, going where no other publication dared go, brought its readers this mouth-watering news (scroll down).

You could look it up.

Here's the FT's February 6, 2008 "Observer" item with the details.

Super-kraut

One might think that one jar of pickled cabbage tastes much like another. Not in the Czech Republic, where it was often the only vegetable available during four decades of Communist rule, creating a nation of connoisseurs. This distinction has now been rightly recognised by the European Commission.

Nosovicky zeli, or sauerkraut, from the region that first produced it in the country, has been granted a wine-style appellation d’origine. The system, created to protect the likes of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese, now covers hundreds of lesser-known products.

The sauerkraut must be prepared in the Moravian town of Nosovice “using recognised know-how”. Observer’s man with the dumplings conducted a poll of a Prague office and found no one who had heard of it. Now, we are sure, they will accept nothing less.