Romania’s participation as guest of honor at the Global Exhibition of Products with Geographical Indications (GIPE 2025), held at the International Exhibition and Convention Center in Shunyi District, Beijing, from September 19 to 21, 2025, also marked the awarding of a traditional Romanian product with geographical indication (PGI): Telemea de Sibiu.

Organized as part of the EU-China symposium on legislation in the field of geographical indications and their branding, the award ceremony for companies and products with geographical indications included this traditional Romanian product among the 10 selected products.

The award was presented to Mr. Florin Dragomir, president of the Association of Telemea de Sibiu Producers, from Vurpăr, Sibiu County, and represents a new recognition of its exceptional quality and authenticity worldwide.

He stated that the specificity of the „Telemea de Sibiu” product is given by its intense and pleasant taste, discreetly sour and salty, which leaves a creamy sensation after tasting, with a slight smell of sheep’s milk, combined with the smells of hay and matured field herbs.

Both connoisseurs and the general public were able to obtain original information about the preparation of this Romanian specialty at the Romanian Pavilion: the quality of the „Telemea de Sibiu” product is determined by the preparation and curdling of the milk using traditional, local methods, the production process involves carefully following well-defined steps, starting with the temperature at which the milk is heated, followed by how the entire composition is mixed, the use of dedicated utensils, such as the „telemea spoon”

(a special ladle), and ending with the way in which „Telemea de Sibiu” is cut and stored until the required consistency is achieved. The production process is manual, the craft remaining unchanged as part of a centuries-old Romanian tradition in the Sibiu area.