PDO olive-growing area
Corsica - Oliu di Corsica
Corsica is home to an olive-growing region that covers a large part of the island. What makes Corsican olive cultivation unique is the diversity of the ancient varieties specific to this region. Protected by the PDO since 2007, Corsican olive oil – Oliu di Corsica – offers two very distinct flavour profiles that showcase the producers’ expertise.
The production of Corsican olive oils – Oliu di Corsica – from cultivation to processing, takes place within a specific geographical area comprising 297 municipalities in Southern Corsica (101 municipalities) and Northern Corsica (196 municipalities). The presence of a great many hundred-year-old olive trees in the maquis bears witness to a significant history of olive cultivation. It is this history that largely explains the origin of the varieties planted: for instance, the Sabine variety, the most widespread in Corsica but found mainly in the Balagne region, is a locally selected variety, derived solely from wild olive trees. Similarly, the Capanace, the dominant variety in the Cap Corse region, was locally selected to adapt to the harsh climatic conditions of Cap Corse.
The practice of harvesting by allowing the fruit to fall naturally when fully ripe is a distinctive feature of Corsica’s production of ‘traditional-method’ olive oils. This tradition is now listed on the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage.
