Corsican food could be said to be something of a microcosm of the island itself: somewhere between French and Italian but featuring many aspects which are distinctly Corsican and unique to the island.
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. The earthy style of cooking takes its inspiration from the land, with sun-loving fruits and vegetables, cured meats and cheeses. As for the wine, well, you won’t be disappointed!
One of Corsica’s distinctive charms is its lack of fast-food chains. Quick bites are still easy to find, but they tend to offer a more authentic taste of the island.
This emphasis on local food helps make a holiday in Corsica feel genuinely unique.
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. Here are a couple of the most popular dishes.
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.
From the eastern coastal lagoons such as Étang de Diana, produce such as briny oysters, mussels and clams are certainly worth trying.
Soupe de Poisson is a fantastic local dish to try, blending Genoese and French coastal traditions; it is usually served with rouille and croutons.
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. This can be found on many charcuterie boards across the island, perfect with a crisp glass of wine!
Brousse is a cow’s milk alternative which is often available in the summer but is not nearly as good.
Cured meats are very popular on the island, and a wide selection is usually available on restaurant menus and charcuterie boards, along with many other culinary delights unique to the island:
Most traditional Corsican desserts are milk- or egg-based. Chestnuts are also widely used on the island, an iconic symbol of Corsican culture, history and cuisine. It is known across the island as the ‘breadfruit tree’ because it once saved generations from famine.
Corsica produces several very good wines, which are hardly known outside the island. The producers are scattered and tend to be highly individual – Corsican, in other words. The grape harvest is still often cut by hand, and visiting a vineyard for an afternoon is a pleasant expedition.
James Boswell was an aficionado, writing in his Tour of Corsica published in 1782: “The flavours of wines differ all over the island. It is a true marvel that such a slight difference in soil and exposure generates such considerable diversity.” Some wines are made with traditional Corsican varieties of grape, such as the delicious white Vermentino, Nielluccio, the basis of the esteemed Patrimonio red, and several excellent rosé wines. As a quick guide, wines from Patrimonio, Ajaccio and from near Sartène are outstanding, and the Domaine Vico wines are notable.
Producers from across the island travel to the Corsican Wine Festival in Luri, Cap Corse, in early July each year to show off their award-winning wines.
Also worth tasting are the local fortified wines, such as Muscat made from the delicious pale Muscat grape, or the darker, sweetish herb-rich Cap Corse. Both can be drunk as apéritifs – or at any time. Home-produced, dusky coloured, apéritif-strength drinks, with herbs such as myrtle and basil, can be found for sale on some roadside stalls. We highly recommend visiting a vineyard during your stay in Corsica.
The island also has its own beers, famous for their unique regional style, most notably Brasserie Pietra, which also happened to pioneer the island’s modern brewing movement, using local chestnut powder!
For those wishing to dine out, there are some excellent restaurants and numerous informal cafés serving pizzas, mixed salads or delicious stewed mussels.
Fish, as is the case everywhere in the Mediterranean today, is fresh but expensive. Vegetarians can usually find pastas, pizzas, omelettes and vegetable dishes.
In Corsica, as anywhere in the Mediterranean, café life is vibrant, and everyone takes part – children are very much welcomed. Most restaurants have high chairs available, and some will offer a children’s menu, although eating out will be later than your children may eat at home, with service from 7pm.
We provide a list of local restaurants to your chosen property in our digital guidebook, which is sent to customers with their tickets, prior to departure.
Need help planning your perfect holiday? With just a simple phone call, you will be connected to someone who knows Corsica like the back of their hand. Speak to us today for an unforgettable holiday.
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