The best Corsican food to try during a yacht charter in Corsica

During your yacht charter in Corsica you will have the opportunity to discover the Corsican food and cuisine. Rooted in tradition, with French and Italian influences, the Corsican cuisine is a generous, flavourful cuisine of character that never gets fussy. In the summer, you will find more seafood – especially in the coastal areas. But the traditional cuisine is more turf than surf. If your cruising itinerary allows, try to venture into the mountainous hinterland where culinary traditions are well preserved. In this post our yacht charter experts give you an introduction to some of the most popular culinary specialities you should try on your upcoming Corsica yacht charter

Tasting adventure on your Corsica yacht charter

Olive oil

Their olive oil is considered as one of the best in the world. With its Mediterranean climate and great diversity of reliefs, Corsica is the perfect place to grow olives. You can stop in the olive groves to taste different oils. We particularly recommend that you visit the Domaine de Marquiliani, whose olive oil has been awarded many times.

Wine

During your yacht charter in Corsica, embark on a wine tasting tour. Red, white or rosé, Corsican wines are the result of a savoir-faire passed down from generation to generation. Domaine Annette Leccia in Morta Piana is worth the visit. Labelled in 1997, Cap-Corse Muscat is made from a unique grape variety, that of white Muscat with small grains. It is used in sauces and soups, and is included in some recipes for fish, shellfish and desserts.

Beer

Pietra is a typical Corsican beer with an amber colour and which is produced from chestnut flour and malt. The foam is particularly intense due to chestnut flour. Among the other local beers, Colomba is a white beer flavoured with hops and maquis herbs.

Honey

Mele di Corsica is the pride of the terroir and has its own registered appellations. There are 6 different varieties of honey: spring, spring maquis, honeydew maquis, chestnut grove, summer maquis and autumn maquis. Honey production is classified according to the geographical location of the apiary and the harvest season. If you would like to sample local honey, we recommend visiting Pierre Carli in Patrimonio.

Shopping list for your yacht crew

Goat & sheep cheese

Choose between goat and sheep, soft and firm cheeses. Each region has its own specialities. Brocciu, the emblematic cheese of Corsica, is similar to ricotta and frequently used in cooking. Other cheese specialties include Corsu Vecchiu, a semi-ripened cheese made from sheep's milk. For a typical tasting, we suggest to buy cheese from Orsatelli brothers and Jean-Louis Guidoni.

Charcuterie

The best Corsican charcuterie is made from pork raised in the open air and fed on chestnuts, acorns and other wild fruits. Among the most popular Corsican delicatessen products are Coppa, Lonzu, Prisuttu (dried ham) and Figatellu (liver sausage). With the growing demand, you will now find delicatessen made from imported pork - only 10% of the products on offer are said to come from local pigs fed with chestnuts. Charcuterie is ideally served with a dry, full-bodied red wine.

Canistrelli

Canistrelli are small dry biscuits typical of Corsica, which are often enjoyed at tea time soaked in coffee! Biscuits are made from wheat flour, white wine and sugar. Corsicans sometimes add almonds, hazelnuts, lemon or anise.

When chartering a yacht in Corsica, eat like a Corsican

Pulenta

Chestnut plantations have started to be cultivated in the Corsican hinterland as an alternative to cereals, which are more difficult to grow. Chestnuts provide a rich caloric intake, and can be dried and ground. It is processed into flour used across Corsican recipes such as polenta.

Fiadone

Fiadone is the great classic of Corsican pastry. It is a lemon-flavoured flan with the famous brocciu cheese used as the main ingredient. It is best enjoyed cold, sometimes drizzled with liqueur. In Corsica, liqueur is often served at the end of meals. Local chestnut, myrtle and plum are particularly popular among Corsican.

Sturzapreti

If Bastia is part of your Corsica yacht charter itinerary, try sturzapreti. These dumplings are obtained by mixing brocciu cheese with chard or spinach then baked in the oven. It is served as a vegetarian course or with meat cooked in sauce. If you are keen to taste it, we recommend Auberge U Fragnu, located in a small mountain village south of Bastia, which serves authentic Corsican food.

Stews

Among the most popular Corsican stews are veal with olives and wild boar stew. Stews are usually served with pasta, potatoes or pulenta. For an authentic experience, visit the Campo di Monte Farmhouse. It takes patience and a few abrupt turns to reach this 18th century farmhouse, which enjoys an extraordinary panoramic view of the Gulf of Saint-Florent. After a glass of muscat under the sycamores, dinner is served in a traditional sheepfold and the stews are sensational.

We hope this short selection of typical Corsican culinary specialities will have whetted your appetite to book your Corsica yacht charter. Find out more about this beautiful yacht charter destination on our Corsica yacht charter guide and contact our charter planners to discuss your next yacht holiday.