Chestnuts and charcuterie: Corsican food
Corsican food, a stone’s throw from the heady Mediterranean delights of Italy, takes its cues as much from its rich terroir as the two mainlands that surround it. Corsica’s Mediterranean climate sun-ripens oodles of delicious vegetables, which locals then pair with aromatic herbs, smoked charcuterie, locally reared meats and Italian-influenced pasta and polenta.
The chestnut tree was introduced to the island during the early Renaissance period, under Genoese rule, and as a consequence many of today’s traditional specialities take chestnuts as their base. Customarily, the nuts are handpicked and dried over fire on a flat clay base, which has the dual function of smoking the charcuterie. After a month the nuts are ground into flour, which is then used to prepare polenta, chestnut tarts, pasta and beignets, bestowing each dish with its distinctively smoky flavour. Today, Corsican chestnut flour, or Farine de Châtaigne Corse, is a French AOC (‘Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée’) product.
Wild livestock
Corsica’s signature dish is perhaps civet de sanglier, a hearty wild boar casserole made with onions, carrots, fennel, red wine and (of course) chestnuts. Pork is very popular, too, due to the abundance of pigs on the island, and they’re transformed into cured hams, salamis and sausages, as well as liver pâtés, black pudding and fromage de tête – a brawn made from their brains.
The Corsican pig is unique as it’s been crossbred with wild boar. It’s reared partially in the wild, watched over by a shepherd and they feed mainly on chestnuts, which they spend their days rootling out, plus kitchen scraps and apples. This diet and active routine gives their meat a particular flavour and texture, and Corsican pork products also reflect Italian traditions, including prosciutto and pancetta.
Another speciality is veal, which in Corsica is both corn- and grass-fed, giving its meat a slightly darker colour and richer taste. It’s commonly eaten in a slow-cooked stew of olives, tomatoes, onions and herbs. Slow-roasted lamb, fragrant with whole garlic cloves and fresh rosemary, is also a frequent restaurant dish.
***
THE CHESTNUT-TREE
This majestic tree attains a height of about 20 meters and his vigorous trunk with a silvery grey bark, full of little bursts, surpasses often 2 meters in diameter. Its large branches procure a much appreciated shadow during the hot summerdays. The tree blossoms in May and June.
Gathering of the chestnuts take place in October and November.When the chestnuts have been gathered, in the Castagniccia, around Bocognano, Evisa, Ajaccio and some other areas (Deux-Sevi, Soro, Haut-Taravo, Prunelli) in the months of October and November, the great work of working up the chestnuts follows.
They dry and grind them in order to make the famous chestnut-flour, used in cakes and pastries, bread, nougat and in lots of delicious dishes. Try the delicacy “marrons glaçés” for example. Dont’t forget the pulenda, a sort of porridge, made since ages.The honey, the liqueurs, even beer!
You can buy the flour on Corsica in shops, which sell Corsican specialities, but also in some supermarkets. And of course on the special fairs. You can take it home, but do store it in the refrigerator!
HISTORY
As protecting and feeding trees, the chestnut-trees have played an essential role in the history of many mediterranean people.
In all European languages the Greek term “kastana” indicates, that u castagnu was undoubtedly unknown in the Mediterranean area before its arrival in the antique Greek territories. Slowly the “arbre à pain”, the “bread-tree”, began to grow on the coasts along the “Mare Nostrum”. In Corsica, the presence of the chestnut-tree has been mentioned since the beginning of the XIIIth century. Although palynology (study of pollen) showed its presence since the Neolithicum.
It’s the start of a long history, which will deeply mark the society, the economy, the daily life, food and the landscapes of the Ile de Beauté. A history, that is marked nowadays by a renewal and a diversification.From 1284 – 1729 Corsica was dominated by the Genoese. In 1584 the Governor of Genua decided that all farmers and landowners on Corsica had to plant four trees yearly: a chestnut-, olive-, fig- and mulberry-tree.
The economy, and with the economy the political, cultural and social life of the Castagniccia, the most important chestnut-area, began to flourish from the XVIth century on. Lots of villages owe their origin and their former richness to the chestnut-woods.
At the end of the 17th century there were already 100 inhabitants per square kms. Around 1770 the surface of the Castagniccia was covered by 70% of chestnut-trees. Because the chestnut-flour was an important article of food, the tree was also called, as said: “arbre à pain”. The hard, durable wood was used for a.o. furniture and whine-casks.At the end of the XIXth century the Castagniccia was overpopulated.
But then the emigration to the colonies started and afterwards the terrible losses of young Corsican lives during the First World War caused the decline and abandon of the woods. Illnesses of the trees did the rest.
THE PRESENT
But now, after a lot of vicissitudes more than 3000 productive hectares are in full renovation. The Collectivité Territoriale, the Government and the European Community have engaged in a big plan of regeneration for a 1,000 hectares within a few years.
Read more
***
Corsican Cornucopia
Source: https://www.francetoday.com/travel/travel-features/corsican_cornucopia/
Corsican charcuterie is also a victim of its own success. It should be made from the meat of black Corsican pigs—animals belonging to the indigenous species called Nustrale, born and raised on the island—but that is not always the case, so the buyer must beware. It’s worth finding the real thing, because the taste of Corsican pork is unique. About 20,000 Corsican pigs are produced each year, and all are raised in a free-range environment. They feed on acorns, chestnuts and wild berries, both in the forest and in high mountain pastures between 3,000 and 6,000 feet in altitude. They also graze on herbs and the roots of ferns, which they love. This diet gives the meat a delicious nutty taste. This slow-growing animal is now being intensely studied, because it’s a candidate for an AOC designation, which is very close to being granted. The meat is particularly high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which help to reduce cholesterol levels. The choicest cut is the ham, locally called prisuttu.
The pigs are slaughtered at about six months old, when they weigh about 250 lbs. The ham is the first piece taken. Trimmed, buried in salt for about three weeks, it is then rinsed in cold water, and set to age for a year in a dark cave with a constant level of natural humidity. When the ham emerges from the cellar, it is brushed and covered with ground pepper. The total aging time ranges from 18 to 24 months depending on the size of the ham. Other products obtained from Corsican pigs are lonzu, salamu, salsiccia, coppa, panzetta and a seasonal liver sausage called figatellu. Two charcutiers in the island are particularly famous for their splendid charcuterie and extraordinary hams: Pascal Flori is based in Murato, in the northern hills not far from Bastia; and Paul Marcaggi, whose farm is in Bocognano, in the central mountains, sells his A Bucugnanesa brand products in his family’s boutique U Stazzu in Ajaccio.
****
The Flavours of Corsica
Source: https://www.corsica.co.uk/blog/the-flavours-of-corsica
Wild Boar
Image credit: Andrew Skinner | Shutterstock
The island, however, is particularly well known for its delicious wild boar, which wander around the mountainous interior, munching on the maquis, chestnuts, figs and mulberries, giving their meat a complex flavour. Look out for Civet de Sanglier – slow cooked wild boar and chestnut stew, Corsica’s most celebrated dish.
Richly marbled charcuterie
Corsica produces exceptional, richly marbled charcuterie, traditionally made using centuries-old methods such as salting, smoking, air-curing and cave-ageing, from boars and pigs fattened on chestnuts. It’s typically served as an appetiser and used in soups and stews.
Look out for coppa (smoked filet), lonzu (dry-cured loin), prizuttu (dry-cured ham), figatellu (smoked liver sausage).
Videos
People began planting the forest yielding these nuts in the late 1500’s. They did so for another 200+ years, the result being the world’s largest chestnut forest
***
Chestnut flour
In November 2006, a decree set the rules for AOC Corsican chestnut flour, meeting precise specifications. Chestnuts are grown on 200-250 farms across the island. For the most part, farmers turn them into flour.
Chestnut flour serves as a base for many dishes, famously polenta, and numerous pastries.
Chestnuts are harvested in the autumn so you can find the famous flour sold at fairs and markets during the winter, and more specifically during ‘A Fiera di A Castagna’ (the Chestnut Festival) in Bocognano.
Consult the ” lBest of Corsica in winter ” section to find recipes using chestnut flour.
