The Wild Isle
Corsica produces some of France's most distinctive cheeses. The island's rugged terrain, dry climate, and unique vegetation create flavors found nowhere else.
The Landscape Shapes the Cheese
Corsican sheep and goats graze on maquis — dense Mediterranean scrubland of wild herbs, juniper, myrtle, and heather. This aromatic diet profoundly influences milk flavor, creating cheeses with herbal, almost mentholated notes.
Traditional Production
We work with the Paoli family, shepherds for five generations. Each spring, they move their flock to high mountain pastures, making cheese in stone huts as their great-grandfathers did.
"The cheese must reflect the season," explains Jean-Paul Paoli. "Spring cheese tastes of new grass and flowers. Autumn cheese is nuttier, more complex, showing the dried herbs and acorns the animals eat."
Brocciu: Corsican Soul Food
Brocciu (pronounced "broach") is Corsica's most beloved cheese — a fresh whey cheese similar to ricotta but with tangy complexity. Eaten fresh with honey, baked in pastries, or simply spread on bread, it's the island's culinary heart.
Aged Brebis
Corsican sheep's milk cheeses aged in caves develop remarkable intensity. Hard, salty, complex — they're traditionally grated over pasta or shaved onto salads. The oldest wheels, aged two years or more, achieve crystalline texture and extraordinary depth.
