Chestnut Week

December 11-17, 2008 (7 days/6nights)

We have designed for you the most seductive treat for your palate and your spirit to finish the year: a week of immersion into the chestnut culture of Corsica.

Upon your arrival, a Champagne reception and gastronomy dinner is the ouverture to this rich symphony of tastes, smells, colors and festive events themed around the chestnut.

The chestnut culture starts with the chestnut tree, “u castagnu”, the emblematic tree of the island, often strangely shaped and considered as a magical sentinel in Corsican lore. You can contemplate these trees while passing through “chestnut country” and ancient chestnut tree forests. 

Corsicans share in common with some Eastern Native American Tribes that one of their staple foods was the chestnut. In both worlds the chestnut tree was named the bread tree, u arburu a pane in Corsican, tili tlugvi in Cherokee.

Chestnuts were already an important part of the Corsican economy during the Roman occupation. Today, they are incorporated into many refined dishes that you savor during this week: chestnut polenta, cakes, pies, muffins, soups, ice-cream, honey, jam, crepes, chestnut foie gras and “marrons glacés” that may accompany your chestnut beer or chestnut liquor.

I Dolci Corsi, Corsican Marrons Glacés

Organic Chestnut Honey

Chestnut Beer Pietra

Chestnut Liquor

Organic Chestnut Jam

A Variety of Chestnut Desserts

You are also able to find non-edible chestnut products including cosmetics and spa products, perfumes, and wood crafts.

Photo courtesy of Philippe Jambert

Chestnut trees are found above 1600 feet growing in the wild. In fall, people gather chestnuts by hand. The bags are traditionally carried to the village on donkeys who can work on steep slopes where vehicles do not have access.

Chestnut flour

Corsica produces the best organic chestnut flour in the world . The good preservation of the flour depends on the proper drying process, requiring experience and endurance. The chestnuts are sorted out carefully by hand to ensure the highest quality. Finally, they are ground into flour and sealed in vacuum bags. Corsica also produces exceptional quality almond and hazelnut flour. All these flours are healthy, nutritious, gluten-free and ideal for baking. You may possibly bring some of it home for your culinary creations, without any customs problems.

Visit an organic fruit farms, first-prize winner in Paris, and taste and see the making of the winter jams of kiwi, clementine, myrtle, cedrat and arbutus bays.

                  

You sample Winter delicacies too precious to export, admire authentic hand forged Corsican knifes from Master Cutlers, and resonate with local music and song, especially Corsican polyphonies.

                     

Another exclusivity of Kalliste Tours:  you privately visit some of the most prestigious museums and ancient sites of the island, as well as some very seldom seen Neolithic sites in the wild.

And we may have to stop occasionally on the road because these beautiful blue-eyed goats have created a traffic jam!

After coasting along one of the most breathtaking landscapes of the island, classified in the Unesco’s World Heritage List, we stroll in a quiet village where roses, camellias, bougainvilleas and other flowers soften and brighten the winter time.
 




We visit beautiful architecture, participate in an annual celebration attended only by the local community in the country side. 

 

One of the most soulful expressions of Corsican culture is Corsican polyphony and music. Be prepared for a transporting experience.

 

Every day our meticulous selection of restaurants, events, places and activities allows you to learn and appreciate the chestnut culture of Corsica.

Your dwelling is a small family-owned and operated four star luxury abode, expressing the character, the soul and the unique texture of Corsica at its best, where you are welcomed “comme à la maison.” You can relax on this private beach, see picture on the left, or sit near the cozy fire-place.  

Visit Our Lady of the Snow; enjoy the unspoiled Mediterranean coastal area and the ruggedly superb mountains. Savor the atmosphere of a 1800’s mountain country estate for a refined lunch.

Stop at a friend’s pâtisserie where specialties have been baked for you. Walk among the aromatic “machja,” the maquis or bush, pick “arbouses” fruits from the arbutus trees or myrtles bays that you may bring home to enhance your recipes. Winter is the season for Corsican fresh mandarines, a delight not to be missed!

Before registering for our tours, we always prefer having a conversation with you over the phone. We favor human contact and personalized service and are glad to assist you. For more details about the accommodation, pricing and conditions about this tour, please contact us.