Gastronomy takes a significant part in Corsican living traditions and some gourmet specialities are a part of the island heritage such as vineyard cultivation or oyster farming, a legacy from the Roman times. Corsica’s gastronomy is as diverse as the land is; from delicious dried meats, such as Prisuttu (ham) or figatelli (liver sausage), to chestnut polenta that will accompany a wild boar stew. Numerous cheese varieties, the “cuisine paysanne traditionnelle”, contrast with fresh natural seafood and some of Corsica’s most famous expressions: aziminu (a fish based soup), crayfish, native “Diana” oysters, sea-urchins or fish.
These specialities usually come with one of the local AOC (guarantee of origin) red, white or rosé wine, grown in 8 various locations all around the island: Ajaccio, Sartène, Figari, Patrimonio, Coteaux du Cap Corse, Calvi, Côte orientale, Porto Vecchio. Do not hesitate to call in to see the wine cellars, as the winegrowers themselves will be delighted to let you taste their products.
But all these food products are also a pretext to explore the “Route des vins de Patrimonio” or one of the “Route des Sens Authentiques”: Drive along itineraries where craftsmen and producers can be met and their products discovered, sharing their know-how, passion and involvement in keeping genuine products alive.