Dried biscuits and sweets
As far as dry cookies are concerned - convenient to carry if you are careful not to crush them - it is impossible not to mention the famous canistrelli. There is always a package to suit your taste, as they can be aniseed, chestnut, lemon, almond or even hazelnut flavored. The finucchetti, small cookies of fine and dry bread covered with grains of anise, specialities of Ajaccio, are also very adapted. Delicious to taste with coffee!
To bring back the taste of the maquis directly on your sandwiches, there is nothing like PDO honey, another typical product. It will also be the occasion to support the local beekeepers (and their bees!), who have to face very worrying difficulties with the degradation of the environment. The advantage is that it can be consumed in a multitude of forms: candy, pollen, nougat and other confectionery.
And to comfort you during winter afternoons, we warmly recommend chestnut products, which can be found in various forms and easy to transport: flour, cakes, jam and other specialties difficult to find on the continent!
Finally, a small jar of fig/nut jam and so many other original natural fruit flavors will be the perfect accompaniment to your cheese or toast, not to mention the hazelnut and chocolate spread from Cervione!
Deli meats and cheese: yes, but carefully
As in all the tourist places in the world, the local product is sometimes local, and sometimes a little less. The delicatessen is no exception to this rule; therefore, by choosing the advice of a store specialized in Corsican or artisanal products, by going to the farmers' markets or by buying directly from the producer, you will ensure the best quality. We choose AOC products when possible - which is unfortunately not yet the case for figatellu, which we will buy in priority during the production season which extends from October to February. Do not hesitate to refer to our section on Corsican gastronomy for more details on cold cuts and cheese!
Directly at the producer: wine and olive oil
Bottles of wine are an excellent souvenir, especially since they are not taxed and are less expensive than on the continent. However, beware of restrictions if you are flying, especially if you are not allowed to bring your own luggage in the hold! The cheapest and most pleasant way is to buy wine directly from the wineries where it is produced. The bottles will cost you much less and you will have the opportunity to taste before buying, to bring back the ones you prefer. The same goes for olive oil: there are many estates that you can visit to get the precious liquid.
Soaps, essential oils, cosmetics and perfumes
Myrtle, immortelle, lentisque, juniper... the flora of the scrubland has no secret for the Corsicans, who, for centuries, have known how to take advantage of their respective virtues to concoct soaps, essential oils and other perfumed cosmetics. To keep the smell of vacations on you, there is nothing like these products that can be found everywhere in parapharmacy or in local stores. We particularly recommend the essential oil of Green Myrtle (Myrtus communis cineoliferum), a little treasure used for generations, which has become a symbol of purity thanks to its purifying properties for the body, mind and home!
Souvenirs to wear: traditional lucky jewellery
Coral fishing is only authorized to a small number of professionals in Corsica, which guarantees a responsible use. Jewelry stores continue to emphasize the "red gold", very used ancestrally. In mythology, this material is a metaphor for the blood of Medusa decapitated by Perseus. Today it is most often found in pendants, the most common forms being the horn and the fist. These very fine micro sculptures with soft and shiny curves are often offered to newborns, they are supposed to bring good luck and keep away the evil eye (Ochju, in Corsica). This is a precious souvenir, full of mystery and history, and light to bring back.
Another very common lucky charm in Corsica is the eye of Saint Lucia, made from the shell of a shellfish called Turbo Rugueux. It can be bought in stores, where it can be found as a ring, bracelet, pendant or earrings. But the best way is to find it on the beach and have it arranged in a jewelry store; only the luckiest or the most motivated will have this pleasure (it seems that it is easier to find it after a big storm)! The belief around the eye of Saint Lucia has different origins, the most famous of which dates back to the 5th century: a young woman from Syracuse named Lucia, wanting to heal her sick mother, prayed to the Virgin until her wish was granted. To thank the Saint, she plucked out her eyes and threw them into the sea in order to keep her suitors away and to turn all her attention to religion. In response to this devotion, the Saint gave her back her sight and gave her beautiful and shiny eyes like the shell's lid.
The Corsican knife, a classic
Treasure of the local craft industry, strong of a thousand-year-old history, the Corsican knife is a flagship product, both sophisticated and practical. The manufacture of the Corsican knife requires a lot of rigor and only certain specialized craftsmen know how to produce them in the rules of art. There are three main types of traditional knives. First of all the shepherd's knife, foldable, very useful for the daily life, which was transmitted from generation to generation. There is also the stylet, a dagger or pointed dagger which appeared in the 16th century and for which noble materials (ivory, silver, mother-of-pearl...) are sometimes used. It is worn on the belt by both men and women. Finally, the mythical "vendetta" knife with its rounded handle, which is a synthesis of the two previous ones, both folding and very sharp.
