Fromage Corse

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Fromage fermier de Corse is a farmhouse cheese made on Corsican farms from the raw milk of the shepherd's own goats or sheep. Production is seasonal and small, and most of it is sold straight from the farm or at market under the Casgiu Casanu mark.

Key Facts

Country of Origin	France
Specific Origin	Corsica
Milk Type	Goat's or sheep's milk
Milk Treatment	Raw
Fat Content	48%
Rind	Washed
Texture	Soft, artisan
Flavor	Herbaceous
Aroma	Herbal
Colors	Pale yellow
Also Known As	fromage fermier de Corse

What is Fromage Corse Cheese?

Fromage fermier de Corse is made in Corsica by the shepherd himself, from the milk of his own flock, at the place where the animals are kept. The producer wears three hats: livestock farmer, cheesemaker and seller.

Producers work raw goat's milk, sheep's milk or a mix of the two, using traditional farm methods rather than industrial ones. The milk is turned into cheese where it is milked, usually in the sheepfolds, on the plains or in the mountains. Flocks live free and feed on whatever the grazing route offers. Births fall in autumn and winter, so the making season is fixed by the animals.

In 2009, Corsica turned out about 800 tonnes of farmhouse cheese a year, not counting the brocciu that comes out of the same cheesemaking. More than 300 families live on it.

Small volumes and a large number of producers mean the cheese is sold mainly direct, at markets and at the farm gate. Wheels intended for sale carry the Casgiu Casanu macaron, which authenticates them as farmhouse made.

Two regional associations stand behind the producers. Casgiu Casanu, set up in 1999 and based at Riventosa, holds its members to a charter and runs unannounced checks on marked cheeses at farms and in shops; it grouped 120 producers in 2010. U Casgile, based at Calacuccia, promotes the cheeses and works toward AOC protection for Corsican cheese names.