Shaped by both sea and mountains, Corsican cooking relies on the island’s own produce: ewe’s and goat’s cheeses, charcuterie, chestnuts, maquis herbs, fish and citrus fruit.
Classic dishes to try
- Corsican soup
- Brocciu fritters and brocciu omelette
- Pulenda made with chestnut flour
- Kid goat Corsican style
- Wild boar stew with chestnuts
- Brocciu and chard dumplings (storzapreti)
- Courgettes and cannelloni with brocciu
- Fiadone, migliacci and canistrelli
Brocciu recipes are on our page about brocciu, and chestnut cakes on Corsican chestnut flour.
PDO and PGI Corsican produce
Photo : Gül Işık / Pexels
Around ten Corsican products are protected by a PDO (protected designation of origin, AOP in French) or a PGI (protected geographical indication, IGP), according to the INAO (the French body for quality and origin labels):
- brocciu, the only PDO Corsican cheese (1996): see Corsican cheese;
- three PDO charcuteries (prisuttu, lonzu, coppa, 2012) and four PGI ones (figatellu, salciccia, panzetta, bulagna, 2023): see Corsican charcuterie;
- Miel de Corse (AOC 1998, PDO 2000): see Corsican honey;
- Corsican chestnut flour (PDO 2010);
- Huile d’olive de Corse - Oliu di Corsica (PDO 2007), virgin or extra virgin olive oil from local varieties;
- Clémentine de Corse (PGI 2007), sold with one or two leaves attached, the only clementine grown in metropolitan France;
- Pomelo de Corse (PGI 2014);
- Noisette de Cervione - Nuciola di Cervioni (PGI 2014), hazelnuts from the Costa Verde;
- Kiwi de Corse (PGI);
- wines: four designations of origin and two PGIs, see Corsican wines.
A designation of origin is not an organic label: for the island’s organic produce and the logos to look for on the label, see organic farming in Corsica.
What to bring back from Corsica
For a basket of Corsican produce, think of charcuterie (checking the appellation on the label), a ewe’s milk tomme, canistrelli and frappes, jams (fig, strawberry tree, chestnut), PDO honey, olive oil and chestnut flour. As for drinks, there are myrtle and chestnut liqueurs, orange wine, eau-de-vie (acquavita) and the island’s mineral waters: see Corsican drinks.
Fresh brocciu and raw figatellu do not travel well: enjoy them on the spot.
