Corsican Fish
Corsica is surrounded by different seas, the Mediterranean as well as the Tyrrhenian sea. These areas have been overfished for generations and very few traditional fishermen still work in the French island. The fish being often cooked with local cheeses, these old recipes are full of flavour.
As the other food and gastronomy products of the French island, the Corsican fish has to be caught and eaten preferably about March, which corresponds to the religious time of Lent.
Fish can be caught in the rivers, and this has been helping many shepherds and goatherds working in mountainous areas who could fish the animals by hand or with a fork. Each fish has a Corsican, a French and sometimes an English name, so do not worry if you see the same fish called differently in the island’s markets and fairs.
Here is a table with the name of different fishes and fish specialities that you may find in Corsica. This is only a short list as there are dozens of fish species available in the island, for the pleasure of your palate while you travel to this region of France (maybe your next holidays?).
| French Name | English Name | Corsican Name (local variations occur) |
|---|---|---|
| Anchois | Anchovy | Anchjuva or Anchjua |
| Anguille | Eel | Anguilla |
| Crevettes Grises | Shrimps | Gàmbaru |
| Daurade | Sea Bream | Muvrone or Uchjonu |
| Moules | Mussels | Mùsculu/ Mùscula |
| Rascasse | Scorpion Fish | Scorpina |
| Truite | Trout | Trùita/ Truta/ Pescia |
As a tourist, you can experience sea fishing from one of the many towns located on the Corsican coasts. A permit is not required to fish at sea in Corsica, provided you plan to eat the fish and not to sell it. With the many species that exclusively exist in the Mediterranean like the brown grouper, rainbow wrasse, forkbeards, moray eels and damselfish, there is a wide choice for fish and food lovers in Corsica.
If you choose to go for some fish in a local restaurant, do taste the Corsican fish soup. The local French restaurateurs will treat you with a 100% authentic soup made of various local fish and crabs, often mixed with onions, flour of corn, garlic and tomato as well as spices and aromatics. They also often use the famous Corsican olive oil to give even more taste to this traditional Corsica dish.
Thus in case you would forget the wonderful Corsican landscape and views (this won't happen), your belly will definitely not forget its ‘culinary trip’ in this very special region of France.
