2. CorsicaCuisine
§ It is mainly based on the products of the island, and due
to historical and geographical reasons, has much in
common with Italian cuisine, and marginally with those
of Nice and Provence.
4. Corsica Cuisine
§ Soups
§ Soups (minestre) are an important part of the Corsican
cuisine. The minestra, or zuppa corsa, akin to the
Italian minestrone, is a soup with beans, potatoes, garlic,
onion, mangelwurzel, cabbage and tomatoes, whose
grease is given by a ham bone and shortening. Among
other traditional soups are the bread soup (minestra di pane
cotto), similar to the Italian pancotto; the soup with
fresh brocciu (minestra di casgiu frescu,
from Carpineto); with aged brocciu (minestra di brocciu
seccu); with red beans and leek (minestra di fasgiolu e di
porri, from Niolo). On Maundy Thursday, meat is replaced
with chickpeas by the minestra incu i ceci di Iovi Santu.
5. Corsica Cuisine
§ Pasta
§ Gnocchi and polenta
§ Pasta dishes particularly show the Italian influence on the
Corsican cuisine. Especially stuffed pasta is popular,
like ravioli and cannelloni: both are stuffed with brocciu, similar
to the Italian ricotta, ravioli together with spinach. Pasta sauce
with tomatoes and minced meat (Salsa pe a pastasciutta) is
also typical.
6. Corsica Cuisine
§ Meat
§ Meat in Corsica often comes from locally bred animals, and
is very tasty, due to the numerous herbs of the
maguis (machja) which feed them. Very popular is lamb
(agnellu) and kid (caprettu), the latter consumed especially
at Easter. They can be eaten roasted, as ragout (tianu) or
stew (in cazzarola). Stufatu is a stew made with beef meat,
ham, garlic, onion, clove and herbs. Game is also abundant:
wild boar (singhjari), thrush (tordulu), hare (levru), common
blackbird (merulu, now protected), snipes (bicazzi) have
their own recipes.
7. Corsica Cuisine
§ Fish
§ In the sea around Corsica are fished about forty species of
fish. Fish are also abundant in the inland rivers and
creeks. Typical is the fish soup, either with sea fish
(azziminu di Capicorsu) or with river fish (azziminu di
Corte). A legacy of the Genoese (and of the centuries-old
contacts with Tuscany and Rome) are the dishes based on
baccala and on stockfish: the former can be deep fried
(fritelle di baccalà), or–a recipe from the Genoese colony of
Bonifacio–with mangold and raisin (baccalà incu e cee e
l'uva secca),while the latter is prepared with tomatoes,
anchovies and walnuts, in a dish named u pestu. The
national cheese, brocciu, is used also with fish, in dishes as
sardines stuffed with brocciu (sardine piene incu u
brocciu) or anchovy -brocciu cake (torta d'anchjuve e di
brocciu).
