Corsicans take their food and drink very seriously and it is quite common for locals to take a leisurely three-course lunch accompanied by a few glasses of Corsican wine. This also means that standards in restaurants are generally high.
Meat Dishes
Wild boar is possibly the island's most celebrated dish - look out for sanglier on the menu. Meat dishes may be served with pasta or polenta.
- Veau aux olives - veal served with local olives
- Tianu - slow-cooked game stew
- Cabri de lait - kid
- Bécasse - roast woodcock
- Pédrix - partridge
Seafood
On the coast you will find a good selection of fish and seafood, although due to reduced fish stocks in the Mediterranean, prices are now fairly high. Look out for red mullet (rouget), sea bream (loup de mer) and crayfish (langoustine). Oysters (huitres) are particularly recommended in the east and trout caught in the unpolluted rivers is a good alternative to meat inland.
Dairy
Much of the mountain cooking is based around the locally produced dairy products and in particular the ewe's cheese brocciu which is similar to goat's cheese. Brousse is a cow's milk alternative which is often available in the summer but is not nearly as good.
Charcuterie
Cured meats are very popular and a wide selection are usually available:
- Prisutu - smoked ham
- Figatellu/fitonu - liver sausage
- Salamu - salami-style sausage
- Valetta - cheek
- Boudin - black pudding
- Fromage de tête - "head cheese" made from seasoned pigs' brains
Desserts
Most traditional Corsican desserts are milk or egg based:
- Fiadone - soft cheese tart which is soaked in spirit and flambéed
- Beignets - chestnut flour doughnuts, sometimes stuffed with cheese
