The Wild Maquis of Corsica
(Page 2 of 5)
April/May 2004
By Sibylle Hechtel
Herbal Countryside
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Corsicans enjoy a bounty of aromatic herbs seen nowhere else and
derive unique, valuable essential oils, as well as flavorings for
their cuisine, from these plants. Corsican chefs frequently use a
native herb, nepeta (Calamintha nepeta), which I’ve never
encountered in food anywhere else, to season their dishes. Nepeta,
variously called Corsican marjoram, lesser calamint, early mint,
nepitella, mountain balsam or mountain mint, was popular as a
medicinal herb in the Middle Ages. Today, mountain-goat herders
coat their cheese with it.
Native herbs permeate this French territory’s cuisine and flavor
the local cheeses, wines, beers and honeys. The strict French
A.O.C. (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) laws that govern the
production of wine and cheese apply even to Corsican honey (the
only A.O.C.-controlled honey in France). The A.O.C. divides honey
into three classes depending on when and where the bees forage.
Four of the six Corsican honeys originate in the maquis, which
shows the pervasive influence of the maquis in Corsican food.
After a calm ferry ride from Nice, photographer Thomas Walsh met
me in the northern port town of Bastia. From the hot beach town,
sweltering on a clear, sunny day in late September, we drove inland
and uphill along winding mountain lanes.
Goats, donkeys and sows with piglets in tow roamed the narrow
roads, so our progress was slow. The road climbed into the chestnut
forests of the Castagniccia, where we embarked on a hike through
the maquis. Finally we arrived in the tiny village of Piedicroce
(about 200 inhabitants), which houses Le Refuge, the only hotel in
this valley.
Our hearty country meal at this family-owned-and-operated inn
began with a tasty locally made salami served with bread and
pickles. Local pigs range freely in the maquis and gorge themselves
on chestnuts, which gives the local salami its unique flavor. The
main course, rich chestnut dumplings, came with a pork sauce.
More than 2,500 species of wildflowers grow on the
island of Corsica.
Premier Essential Oil
Early the next morning, Walsh and I drove to Kyrn Flor to watch
Antoine Valentini, a native Corsican, distill essential oils from
rosemary.
“We work for homeopathy labs in France, Belgium, Germany and
occasionally Canada or the United States,” Valentini said. “We
distill oils from 10 to 12 plants. Most often we get oils from
rosemary, myrtle, inula and eucalyptus.” Corsican rosemary contains
an essential oil called verbenone, which is absent in mainland
rosemary and makes Corsican rosemary oil more valuable. “Rosemary
is an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal oil,” he says.
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