One of Corsica’s iconic cheeses is definitely brocciu, pronounce brotchiou as a Corsican. It’s often said “who hasn’t tasted brocciu doesn’t know the island”, so to your forks. It’s a tasty cheese preparation with sheep’s or goat’s milk. Brocciu is fresh from November to June. The beautiful appellation of strand d’amour hides a sheep’s milk cheese scented with herbs from the Corsican scrub. Located in the center of the island, the municipality of Venaco produces a soft cheese of the same name. Venaco or Venachese is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk and comes in the form of a square tomme.
The pig is famous. It is enjoyed in charcuterie in all its forms. The best known are the coppa. Pork backing is prepared according to a salting principle from Italy. Figatellu is another Corsican specialty well known to lovers of fresh sausage. It consists of pork liver meat and can also be smoked. The panzetta is a smoked and dried pork breast that can be flat or rolled. It is eaten raw or pan-fried with eggs and potatoes. Sangui is the quintessential Corsican sausage. It is eaten grilled with slices of fried polenta.
The chestnut is emblematic of the island of beauty. The many chestnut groves are a true national heritage site. The chestnut harvest has been part of the island’s heritage since the 10th century. That is to say, the full influence of this fruit on regional cuisine. Its main benefits are its nutritional qualities as well as its lack of gluten. Flour is used to make bread, but also many desserts. Pancakes, flans and chestnut flour cakes are especially popular in Corsica.
