Miel de Corse - Mele di Corsica

Appearance & taste

Corsican honey is offered in six varieties that correspond to the natural sequence of nectar flows through the year. The spring honey “Printemps” is very light to light gold, fruity and floral, normally to moderately sweet; it comes mainly from clementine blossom and other fruit trees. “Maquis de printemps” from tree heath and French lavender is amber-coloured, with notes of coconut, liquorice, dark caramel and cocoa. The dark maquis honeydew honey “Miellats du maquis” is not too sweet, distinctly sour and malty, with notes of ripe fruit, dried fruit and caramel. The chestnut blossom honey “Châtaigneraie” is not very sweet, sharp and tart and lingers in the mouth for a long time. The light summer maquis honey “Maquis d’été” from kidney vetch, broom, cat thyme and Corsican thyme is floral and aromatic. The autumn maquis honey “Maquis d’automne” from the strawberry tree tastes more or less distinctly bitter, of coffee grounds and wood, with a tart aftertaste.

Foreign smells and tastes are not permitted. The honey must contain less than 18 % water, chestnut blossom honey and late autumn honey less than 19 %. The pollen spectrum must match its origin in Corsica; pollen from rapeseed, sunflower, sainfoin, sulla and buckwheat and from some wild plants must not be present.

Production

The honey comes from nectar and/or honeydew gathered by bees of the Corsican ecotype Apis mellifera mellifera in Corsica’s natural plant communities. Honey from crops is excluded, with the exception of citrus plantations. From 15 days before the start of the nectar flow until the honey harvest, the bees must not be fed. The honey is harvested and clarified on the island. The harvests are spread over the year, from April to October or November and sometimes until February.

According to the specification, pollen analysis shows whether a honey really comes from Corsica and from which micro-region; this is supplemented by checks of colour, aroma and taste. The label says “Miel de Corse” or “Mele di Corsica” in letters at least half the size of the largest on the label, directly together with “Appellation d’Origine Protégée” or “AOP”.

Origin & history

Corsica is a mountainous island with crystalline rock in the west and south, schist in the north and west and a depression with sediments in the centre. The soils are more or less acidic, the temperatures mild, and rainfall plentiful but irregular. The Corsican maquis covers large areas from the coast up to about 1,200 m and flowers in stages: tree heath in spring, chestnut at the beginning of summer, strawberry tree in autumn and winter. According to a biometric study with more than 6,000 measurements, the Corsican bee differs from the Italian bee and the European dark bee in having a longer tongue, a higher cubital index and short hair.

Documents since antiquity mention honey in large quantities on Corsica; the early authors cite its economic value as a tribute payment. From the end of the 16th century, court records show that beekeeping had become an independent agricultural activity. Since 1976 the beekeepers have jointly drawn up a development plan for their sector; today beekeeping is the main source of income for many producers.