- Have you ever been to a party when someone pops open a bottle of bubbly and asks, "Who wants champagne?"

and then there's that guy who chimes in and he's like, "You know, you can't call it champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region of France.

Otherwise it's just called sparkling wine."

As much as I hate to admit it, that guy is kind of right.

Though it's all bubbly wine, it can only be called champagne when it comes from the Champagne region of France.

But why is that?

And are there other foods like champagne that can only be called something if it comes from a particular place?

It's time to outsmart that smug guy at the party by schooling him on the world of legally protected foods!

(playful music) First, what are the legal ways to protect the classification of food, and why is it so important?

Well, foods that have a long history in a place or are made through traditional cultural methods or are cultivated in a particular environment that's specific to a distinct region of the world can be considered a geographical indication, or GI.

It's the world's way of giving recognition to the high quality and cultural significance of certain foods, signaling to global markets that, hey, the name of this place deserves to be synonymous with the goods they produce.

And around the world, there are different degrees of GI protections, all of which limit against imitators and misleading representation of products.

You have to be careful, though, because these laws aren't always internationally upheld, meaning that a lot of imitators can get through.

Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmesan are both geographical indications specific to regions in Italy.

However, outside of the European Union, the Parmesan name is not regulated, and it can technically be used to describe a lot of other cheeses that are similar to Parmigiano Reggiano.

So if you want the real deal, you have to make sure that the rind bears the stamp, "Parmigiano Reggiano."

Continuing the cheese drama, Gruyere cheese has caused a lot of controversy over the years since Switzerland secured the Protected Geographical Indication for this style of cheese.

It's said that Gruyere was first made as far back as the Middle Ages, in the Alpine foothills of a town called Gruyeres, Switzerland.

Problem is, that town is very close to what is now the border of France, and France has a lot of similar styles of cheeses!

On the other side of the Alps, Austria has their own kind of Gruyere cheese.

Despite Gruyere existing in three countries, the Swiss version dominated the international market thanks to the Schweizer Kaseunion, also known informally as the Swiss Cheese Mafia.

- [Vito] I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

- This marketing and trading organization regulated Swiss cheese, inspecting every product, before giving it a seal of approval that ensured its high quality, making it challenging for cheesemongers to sell cheeses that weren't backed by the union.

In the 1930s, the Schweizer Kaseunion began advertising fondue internationally as a worldwide dining phenomenon, further solidifying Gruyere cheese within Swiss culture.

After several years of debating whose Gruyere was true Gruyere, it was the Swiss that earned the PGI.

Not only does food need to come from a specific place, it also needs to meet particular standards and can sometimes only bear the GI label when approved by designated organizations.

When it comes to Japan's Kobe beef, in order to meet the criteria for the Kobe beef classification, it must meet the strict rules set by the Japan Meat Grading Association.

To be considered true Japanese Kobe beef, the cow must not only be Wagyu, it must be part of the bloodline of the pure Tajima-gyu beef lineage.

It has to be born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the Hyogo Prefecture, the capital city being Kobe.

The cow also needs to be between the ages of 28 and 60 months.

Even after that, the meat itself has to have a high enough meat quality score and a beef marbling score in order to be deemed Kobe beef.

It's worth noting that the Kobe beef label is not regulated in the United States.

So if you're eating Kobe beef in the United States, chances are it's not Japanese Kobe beef, but rather, sparkling beef!

Just kidding, it's actually American Kobe-style beef, according to the USDA.

As you can see, there are a lot of foods that are considered geographical indications, but it's a pretty nuanced subject.

So, whether you're planning a trip to the grocery store or a trip across the globe, be sure to do your research ahead of time.

What food puts your city or region on the map, and does it deserve to be a geographical indication?

Tell us in the comments.